Capitalization Rules in Italian Grammar: A Guide for English Speakers

Introduction to Italian Capitalization Rules

Understanding capitalization in Italian is crucial as it often differs significantly from English. While English has specific rules for capital letters, Italian uses a more conservative approach. This guide will help English speakers navigate these differences.

When to Use Capital Letters in Italian

In Italian, capital letters are used more sparingly compared to English. Here are the primary instances when capitalization is required.

• At the beginning of a sentence
• For proper nouns such as names of people, cities, and countries
• For official names and titles
• In abbreviations
• For religious terms

Days of the Week and Months

Unlike English, Italian avoids capitalizing the days of the week and the names of months unless they start a sentence.

Commonly Lowercased Titles

Titles of professions or roles are usually written in lowercase in Italian. This contrasts with English capitalization rules.

Religious and Cultural Terms

Religious terms such as 'bible' and 'saint' are typically capitalized in Italian. However, this rule can depend on the context, especially in religious texts.