In general Italian adjectives follow the noun:

　　è una lingua difficile. (It is a difficult language.)

　　Marina è una ragazza generosa. (Marina is a generous girl.)

　　Certain common adjectives, however, generally come before the noun:

　　Anna è una cara amica. (Anna is a dear friend.)

　　Gino è un bravo dottore. (Gino is a good doctor.)

　　è un brutt'affare. (It's a bad situation.)

　　The most common adjectives that come before the noun are listed in the table below.

　　But even these adjectives must follow the noun for emphasis or contrast, and when modified by an adverb:

　　Oggi non porta l'abito vecchio, porta un abito nuovo. (Today he is not wearing the old suit, he is wearing a new suit.)

　　Abitano in una casa molto piccola. (They live in a very small house.)