You probably know that for every professore there is a professoressa, and for every studente there is a studentessa. But how about other nouns of profession, status, or relation that have a male and a female version?
Most masculine nouns ending in -tore become feminine by changing -tore to -trice (see table below).
GENDERED NOUNS: FROM -TORE TO -TRICE

MASCULINE
FEMININE
ENGLISH

attore
attrice
actor

autore
autrice
author

direttore
direttrice
director

imperatore
imperatrice
emperor/empress

lavoratore
lavoratrice
worker

pittore
pittrice
painter

scrittore
scrittrice
writer

stiratore
stiratrice
presser

traditore
traditrice
traitor

traduttore
traduttrice
translator


Some masculine nouns become feminine by changing their final vowel to -a (see table below).
GENDERED NOUNS THAT GAIN AN -A IN THE FEMININE

MASCULINE
FEMININE
ENGLISH

cameriere
cameriera
waiter/waitress

cassiere
cassiera
bank teller

figlio
figlia
son/daughter

giardiniere
giardiniera
gardener

infermiere
infermiera
nurse

marchese
marchesa
marquis/marchioness

padrone
padrona
boss, owner

portiere
portiera
doorman/doorwoman

sarto
sarta
tailor/dressmaker

signore
signora
Mr./Mrs.


Take note that there are certain names of professions that end in -a regardless of whether the term refers to a male or a female. In such case, the gender distinction is made by the definite article: il giornalista/la giornalista, il dentista/la dentista. The plurals of these professions follow the same general rule as with any other noun: Plural masculine nouns end in -i (i giornalisti, i dentisi), plural feminine nouns end in -e (le giornaliste, le dentiste).
Finally, certain masculine nouns become feminine by replacing their final vowel with -essa (see the following table).
GENDERED NOUNS THAT GAIN AN -ESSA IN THE FEMININE

MASCULINE
FEMININE
ENGLISH

avvocato
avvocatessa
lawyer

campione
campionessa
champion

conte
contessa
count/countess

dottore
dottoressa
doctor

oste
ostessa
host/hostess

poeta
poetessa
poet

principe
principessa
prince/princess

profeta
profetessa
prophet

sacerdote
sacerdotessa
high priest/priestess

studente
studentessa
student