uomo / mano / dito
Irregular Plurals (Uomo, Mano, Dito)
Italian has a few high-frequency nouns that change gender or stem in the plural: uomo becomes uomini, la mano becomes le mani, and il dito becomes le dita.
How It Works
These three nouns are essential for daily conversation but break the standard rules:
- Uomo (Man) → Uomini (Men): This is a masculine noun that changes its stem. Because uomini starts with a vowel, it uses the plural article gli (gli uomini).
- La mano (Hand) → Le mani (Hands): This is a rare feminine noun that ends in -o. Unlike other feminine nouns ending in -o (like la foto, which is invariable), mano changes to -i in the plural while remaining feminine.
- Il dito (Finger) → Le dita (Fingers): This noun changes gender. It is masculine in the singular (il dito) but becomes feminine in the plural (le dita). This is the standard way to refer to fingers collectively.
Note on 'I diti': While le dita is the standard collective plural, the form i diti is used when referring to fingers individually (e.g., i diti indici - the index fingers) or in specific technical contexts.
Examples (5)
- Gli uomini sono in giardino.
The men are in the garden.
Word by Word: The men are in garden.
Notice the stem change from 'uomo' to 'uomini' and the use of the article 'gli'.
- Lavati le mani prima di cena.
Wash your hands before dinner.
Word by Word: Wash-yourself the hands before of dinner.
'Mani' is feminine plural, so it uses the article 'le'.
- Ho le dita fredde.
My fingers are cold.
Word by Word: I have the fingers cold.
Since 'dita' is feminine plural, the adjective 'fredde' must also be feminine plural.
- Quell'uomo è molto alto.
That man is very tall.
Word by Word: That man is very tall.
The singular form 'uomo' is a standard masculine noun.
- Mi sono rotto due dita della mano.
I broke two fingers of my hand.
Word by Word: To-me I am broken two fingers of-the hand.
Even when counting specific fingers, 'le dita' is the most natural choice.
Common Mistakes
Using the wrong plural for 'uomo'.
I uomi sono stanchi.Gli uomini sono stanchi.The plural of 'uomo' is 'uomini', and because it starts with a vowel, it requires the article 'gli'.
Treating 'mano' as a masculine noun.
Il mano è sporco.La mano è sporca.'Mano' is feminine despite ending in -o. Adjectives must agree with its feminine gender.
Using a masculine article with 'dita'.
I dita sono lunghi.Le dita sono lunghe.'Dita' is feminine plural. You must use the article 'le' and feminine plural adjectives.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand these irregular plurals, you first need to be familiar with the standard gender endings for Italian nouns and the regular rules for forming plurals. This provides the context for why 'uomini', 'mani', and 'dita' are considered exceptions.
Related Patterns
- Definite Articles
Explains the use of 'gli' for plural masculine nouns starting with a vowel, like 'uomini'.
Level 1 - Adjective Agreement
Crucial for ensuring adjectives match the irregular feminine plural of 'dita' and 'mani'.
Level 1 - -o / -aNoun Gender (-o/-a)
The basic gender rules that 'mano' (feminine -o) and 'dita' (masculine to feminine) deviate from.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Sources
Practice uomo / mano / dito in Bubblegum
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