As regards nouns indicating things (objects or abstract concepts), since the neuter gender is missing in Italian, the choice between masculine and feminine in Italian is determined only by the word’s ending or meaning.
A). Masculine and Feminine in italian: By ending
| Maschile (Masculine) | Femminile (Feminine) |
| Il buco (The hole) | La buca (The pit/dich) |
| Il regolo (The ruler) | La regola (The rule) |
| Il modo (The way) | La moda (The fashion) |
| Il pianto (The crying) | La pianta (The plant) |
| Il baleno (The flash/spark) | La balena (The whale) |
| Il panno (The cloth) | La panna (The cream) |
| Il foglio (The paper/sheet) | La foglia (The leaf) |
| Il briciolo (The little bit/crumb) | La briciola (The crumb) |
| Il porto (The port) | La porta (The door) |
| Il legno (The wood) | La legna (The firewood) |
| Il pezzo (The piece) | La pezza (The patch) |
| Il covo (The den/hideout) | La cova (The brooding/nest) |
| Il cero (The candle) | La cera (The wax) |
B). Masculine and Feminine in italian: By meaning
| Maschile (Masculine) | Femminile (Feminine) |
| Il fine (The end) | La fine (The end) |
| Il radio (The radio) | La radio (The radio) |
| Il fronte (The front) | La fronte (The forehead) |
| Il capitale (The capital) money or city | La capitale (The capital) |
| Il fonte (The source, spring or fountain) | La fonte (The source/origin) |
| Il tèma (The theme, topic) | La téma (The fear) |
Exercises on the lesson here
Next lesson:
Passaggio dal maschile al femminile / Transition from masculine to feminine.