Definite and indefinite articles in Italian
Italian ⋙
Italian A1
Welcome to our Italian grammar course for beginners! Today, we're going to talk about Italian articles.
There are only two articles that we can use in English:
a and
the. It does not matter if we use masculine or feminine genders in English. In Italian, it matters. Also, Italian plural and singular articles are different, so we need to pay attention to them.
Articles are used in Italian more frequently than in English. We need to use articles in various contexts, including with general concepts, specific objects, abstract ideas, professions, nationalities, and more. Correct use of articles is crucial to writing grammatically correct Italian sentences.
In Italian, articles (articoli) are used to indicate the gender and number of nouns. There are definite articles (Articoli determinativi) and indefinite articles (Articoli indeterminativi). So, let's talk about it.
Definite Articles (Articoli Determinativi)
Definite articles specify a particular noun and are equivalent to "
the" in English. In Italian, the definite articles change depending on the number and gender of the noun.
Singular
Masculine: il is used before masculine nouns starting with a consonant except those beginning with z, s + consonant, gn, ps, or a vowel, e.g., il libro (the book);
Masculine: lo is used before masculine nouns starting with z, s followed by a consonant, gn, ps, e.g., lo stadio (a stadium);
Feminine: la is used before feminine nouns starting with a consonant, e.g., la casa (the house);
Feminine and masculine: l' is used before feminine and masculine nouns starting with a vowel or silent "h," e.g., l'acqua (the water).
Plural
Masculine: i is used before masculine plural nouns, e.g., i libri (the books);
Masculine: gli is used before masculine nouns that start with the letters z, s followed by a consonant, gn, ps, or x, e.g., gli studenti (the students);
Feminine: le is used before feminine plural nouns, e.g., le case (the houses).
Indefinite Articles (Articoli Indeterminativi)
Indefinite articles refer to non-specific or unidentified nouns and are equivalent to "a/an" in English. In Italian, the indefinite articles also change based on gender and number.
Singular
Masculine: un is used before masculine nouns starting with a consonant except those beginning with z, s + consonant, gn, ps, e.g., un libro (a book);
Masculine: uno is used before masculine nouns starting with consonants z, s + consonant, gn, or ps, e.g., uno zio (an uncle);
Feminine: una is used before feminine nouns starting with a consonant, e.g., una casa (a house);
Feminine: un' is used before feminine nouns starting with a silent "h" or a vowel, e.g., un'idea (an idea).
Plural
Masculine: dei is used before plural masculine nouns, e.g., dei libri (some books);
Masculine: degli is used before masculine nouns starting with consonants x, z, s + consonant, gn, ps, e.g., degli zaini (some backpacks);
Feminine: delle is used before plural feminine nouns, e.g., delle case (some houses).
Summary
It's important to note that Italian articles agree in number and gender with the nouns they accompany. This means that you need to use the definite article for nouns that are masculine or feminine, singular or plural.
We recommend practicing using articles with different nouns to reinforce their usage and agreement. As you continue to practice and engage with the Italian language, you'll become more confident in using articles correctly. And we are waiting for you in the next lesson, where we will talk about
grammatical gender in Italian. Good luck!
