The adjective agrees in number and gender with the noun on which it depends grammatically, both in attributive and predicative functions.
- Una bella ragazza.
- A beautiful girl.
- Questa ragazza è bella.
- This girl is beautiful.
When the adjective refers to more than one noun, it must be distinguished whether it follows or precedes them.
1. If the adjective follows nouns in the plural, it is normally:
Feminine plural if all the nouns are feminine, in other cases it is masculine plural.
- La borsa e la sciarpa nuove (femminile +femminile)
- The new bag and scarf (feminine +feminine).
- La borsa e il cappello nuovi (femminile +maschile)
- The new bag and hat (feminine + masculine)
- Il cappello e la borsa nuovi (maschile +femminile)*
- The new hat and bag (masculine + feminine)
- Il cappello e il cappotto nuovi (maschile +maschile)
- The new hat and coat (masculine +masculine)
*However, for stylistic reasons, it is preferable to place the male noun next to the adjective, as in sentence no. 2.
2. If the adjective precedes plural nouns, it normally agrees with the closest one.
- Ottimi vini e bibite.
- Excellent wines and drinks.
- Squisite paste e dolci.
- Delicious pastries and desserts.
When the adjective is used as a predicate, the concordance is in the feminine plural, if all the nouns are feminine, masculine plural in other cases.
- La giacca e la borsa sono nuove (femminile + femminile)
- The jacket and bag are new (feminine + feminine)
- La giacca e il cappotto sono nuovi (femminile + maschile)
- The jacket and coat are new (female + male)
- Il cappotto e il cappello sono nuovi (maschile + maschile)
- The coat and hat are new (male + male)