How do I know when a singular noun is masculine or feminine?

Easy! If the noun ends with -a- it's feminine, if it ends with -o- it's masculine.Feminine nouns: Casa, Scuola, MammaMasculine nouns: Uomo, Gatto, FuocoWhat about those names that end with -e- then? It usually means they are a masculine noun.E.g. Il Fiore, Il Presidente, Il MareItalian, however, like any language, has its exceptions. Look at these:Televisione -- it's feminine Assistente -- Can be masculine OR feminine. (L'assistente)Dottore -- It's masculineIn this case, the only way to learn whether a singular noun is masculine or feminine is by consulting a dictionary.Remember, the more words you come across, the more you use them when you speak, the easier it will become to 'intuitively' know these facts about the language. As one of my favourite teachers used to say: 'Languages are alive. They don't always respond to hard and fast rules. The only way to hone them, is by using them".