Professions and Workplaces

Being able to talk about jobs and workplaces is important for introductions, small talk, and understanding Italian society. Italian professions often have masculine and feminine forms, and there are specific rules about how to use them.

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Common Professions

Professions Ending in -o / -a

Many professions follow the standard pattern: masculine ends in -o, feminine in -a.

Italian (Masculine)	Italian (Feminine)	English
avvocato	avvocata / avvocatessa	lawyer
medico	medica	doctor
infermiere	infermiera	nurse
cuoco	cuoca	cook / chef
cameriere	cameriera	waiter / waitress
impiegato	impiegata	office worker / clerk
operaio	operaia	factory worker
segretario	segretaria	secretary
commesso	commessa	shop assistant
maestro	maestra	primary school teacher

Professions Ending in -e (Same for Both)

Some professions ending in -e are the same for both genders -- only the article changes.