Italian Articles: When to Use Them and When to Drop (A2)

🔍 In short. The big question with italian articles is not what they look like, but when to use italian articles at all. English often skips the article (“I love coffee”, “Italy is beautiful”); Italian usually keeps it (amo il caffè, l’Italia è bellissima). But Italian also drops the article in places where English keeps it: mia madre (not la mia madre), vado a scuola, parlo italiano, ho fame. The rule of thumb is simple: when the noun points to a general concept, a whole class, or a unique entity, Italian wants the article. When the noun sits inside a fixed expression, a habitual location, a verbal phrase, or a name we already know, italian articles disappear. This guide unpacks the cases one by one so you stop guessing.

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The one-liner rule for italian articles

Italian articles appear whenever the noun stands on its own as a concept, a whole class, or a unique entity in the world we share: il sole, la libertà, l’Italia, il caffè. Italian articles disappear when the noun is glued to a verb, a preposition, a name, or a possessive that already does the work of identifying. So we say il sole è caldo (the sun in general), but vado a scuola (school as a destination type), ho fame (hunger as a state), mia madre (the relationship is already specified by mia). Once you sort cases by these two camps, the choice stops feeling random.

When Italian wants the article: generic nouns

The most common reason italian articles appear where English drops them is the generic use. When you talk about a thing in general, a whole category, or an abstract idea, Italian puts il, la, lo, i, le, gli in front. English happily says “Sugar is bad for your teeth”, but Italian must say Lo zucchero fa male ai denti. Italian articles step in to mark the generic noun. The same applies to abstract nouns: l’amore, la pazienza, la libertà. And to unique entities you and your listener share by default: il sole, la luna, il mare. Italian articles also appear here because each of these is a one-of-a-kind reference point in everyday conversation.

  • Il sole splende oggi.
    The sun is shining today.
  • Adoro il caffè italiano.
    I love Italian coffee.
  • La vita è bella.
    Life is beautiful.
  • Lo zucchero fa male ai denti.
    Sugar is bad for your teeth.
  • L’amore è cieco.
    Love is blind.
  • I gatti dormono molto.
    Cats sleep a lot.

Notice how English drops the article in every translation, while Italian keeps it. This is the single most useful pattern to memorize for italian articles: if you can paraphrase your sentence with “in general” or “as a category”, the language needs the article. The same logic explains why we say Studio la storia (history as a subject), Mi piace la musica classica (classical music as a category), L’inverno è freddo (winter, the season, in general).

Body parts: il braccio, not “my arm”

If there is one rule about italian articles that English speakers find counterintuitive, it’s this one. In Italian, when you talk about your own body parts, you use the definite article from the family of italian articles, not a possessive. Where English says “I wash my hands”, Italian says Mi lavo le mani. The pronoun mi already tells everyone whose hands we mean, so the possessive becomes redundant.

  • Mi lavo le mani prima di mangiare.
    I wash my hands before eating.
  • Caterina si pettina i capelli ogni mattina.
    Caterina combs her hair every morning.
  • Mi fanno male i piedi dopo questa camminata.
    My feet hurt after this walk.
  • Niccolò si è rotto il polso giocando a tennis.
    Niccolò broke his wrist playing tennis.
  • Lorenzo ha gli occhi azzurri.
    Lorenzo has blue eyes.
  • Apri la bocca, dice il dentista.
    Open your mouth, says the dentist.

Saying lavo le mie mani is not strictly wrong, but Italians would never say it spontaneously. it sounds odd, almost as if you were drawing extra attention to whose hands you mean. Italian articles handle the possession discreetly. The same rule extends to clothes and personal items that belong to a normal everyday set: Mi metto il cappotto (I put on my coat), Si è tolto le scarpe (he took off his shoes). The verb plus reflexive pronoun does the possessive job.

Family with possessives: mia madre vs la mia macchina

Here’s the rule about italian articles that confuses everyone at A2 level. Italian normally puts an article before a possessive: la mia macchina, il mio libro, i miei amici. But with singular family members, italian articles disappear: mia madre, tuo padre, nostro fratello, sua sorella. Why? Because the family bond is already unique and personal enough; italian articles would be overkill here.

  • Mio padre lavora a Modena.
    My father works in Modena.
  • Tua sorella ha telefonato ieri sera.
    Your sister called last night.
  • Nostra zia abita a Lucca da venti anni.
    Our aunt has been living in Lucca for twenty years.
  • Suo cugino fa il fotografo.
    His cousin is a photographer.

The exception list is short but important. Italian articles come back in four cases:

  • Plural family members: i miei fratelli, le tue sorelle, i nostri zii.
  • With loro, always: il loro padre, la loro madre, il loro fratello.
  • With a diminutive or adjective: la mia sorellina, il mio fratello maggiore, la mia cara nonna.
  • With mamma, papà, babbo in colloquial use: la mia mamma, il mio papà (regional preference).

🎯 Mini-task: Add the article only if it’s needed.

  1. ____ mia sorella studia a Bologna.
  2. Ho perso ____ mio cellulare in autobus.
  3. ____ nostri nonni vivono in campagna.
  4. ____ tuo zio fa ____ avvocato.
  5. ____ loro padre è andato in pensione.
👉 See answers

 

1. Mia sorella studia a Bologna. (singular family, no article)

2. Ho perso il mio cellulare in autobus. (regular noun, article needed)

3. I nostri nonni vivono in campagna. (plural family, article needed)

4. Tuo zio fa l’avvocato. (singular family, no article + fare + article + job)

5. Il loro padre è andato in pensione. (loro always takes article)

Names of people and cities: usually no article

Names of people in standard Italian go without italian articles: Ho visto Niccolò al mercato, Caterina arriva domani, Vado da Lorenzo. Italian articles in front of first names (la Caterina, il Lorenzo) survive in some northern Italian and Tuscan dialects, but in standard written and spoken Italian they sound regional or quaint. Italian articles do appear with surnames of women in formal contexts (la Quacquarini), but with male surnames they’re usually limited to historical figures (il Manzoni, il Leopardi) and convey a slight emotional distance.

  • Vado da Niccolò stasera.
    I’m going to Niccolò’s place tonight.
  • Caterina parte per Lucca alle otto.
    Caterina is leaving for Lucca at eight.
  • Sono andato a Torino in treno.
    I went to Turin by train.
  • Mi piace molto Firenze.
    I really like Florence.

Cities are the same: Vado a Roma, Vivo a Parigi, Conosci Bologna?. The only exceptions are cities whose name already contains an article as an integral part: Il Cairo, L’Aquila, La Spezia, L’Aia (The Hague), La Mecca, L’Avana. In those cases italian articles are part of the proper name and travel with it. We also bring italian articles back when the city is modified by an adjective: la Roma di un tempo, la Firenze rinascimentale, la Milano da bere degli anni Ottanta. The adjective forces the city into a specific version of itself, and italian articles mark that specification.

Countries, regions and big islands: l’Italia, la Sicilia

Countries and regions take italian articles: l’Italia, la Francia, il Portogallo, la Toscana, il Veneto. Continents too: l’Europa, l’Asia, l’Africa. A small group of country names goes against the rule and stays bare: Israele, Cuba, Andorra, San Marino, Malta, Monaco. Big islands generally take the article (la Sicilia, la Sardegna, la Corsica, il Madagascar), small ones don’t (Capri, Ischia, Ponza, Procida).

  • L’Italia ha la forma di uno stivale.
    Italy is shaped like a boot.
  • La Toscana è famosa per il vino.
    Tuscany is famous for wine.
  • Andiamo in Sicilia ad agosto.
    We’re going to Sicily in August.
  • Domani parto per Capri.
    Tomorrow I’m leaving for Capri.

Now the twist that confuses every learner: after the preposition in, italian articles disappear with feminine singular country and region names. L’Italia becomes in Italia, la Francia becomes in Francia, la Toscana becomes in Toscana. So you say Amo l’Italia but Vivo in Italia. The contrast also applies to regions and to feminine singular names that already contain an article: L’Umbria è bellissima but Andiamo in Umbria. With plural names or masculine names, italian articles tend to stay: negli Stati Uniti, nel Veneto.

Rivers, lakes and mountains keep italian articles in almost every context: il Po, il Tevere, l’Arno, il lago di Como, il Monte Bianco, le Alpi, gli Appennini. Ho nuotato nell’Arno, Abbiamo visto le Dolomiti, La vetta del Cervino è coperta di neve. Rivers, lakes and mountains behave like the sun and the moon: there’s one of each in our common world, so they get italian articles by default.

Languages: parlo italiano vs studio l’italiano

Language names follow a verb-specific pattern for italian articles that catches every learner off guard. The general rule says the language takes italian articles (l’italiano, il giapponese, il francese) when it’s the object of a verb. But after parlare, italian articles are normally dropped. So you say:

  • Parlo italiano e francese.
    I speak Italian and French.
  • Studio l’italiano da due anni.
    I have been studying Italian for two years.
  • Conosco bene lo spagnolo.
    I know Spanish well.
  • Insegno il tedesco a Lucca.
    I teach German in Lucca.
  • L’arabo è una lingua affascinante.
    Arabic is a fascinating language.

The contrast parlo italiano vs studio l’italiano reflects a subtle distinction. Parlo italiano treats the language almost like an adverb, meaning “I speak in Italian”, “I use Italian to communicate”. Studio l’italiano treats the language as a defined subject of study, a noun in its own right. The same logic applies to conosco, imparo, insegno, capisco: all of them take italian articles. And after the preposition in, italian articles drop: L’ho tradotto in italiano, Scrivimi in francese, Il film è in spagnolo con sottotitoli.

If parlare is followed by an adverb or modifier, italian articles often come back: Parlo bene l’italiano, Parlo correntemente il francese. Italian articles reappear because the focus shifts from “communicating in Italian” to “having mastery of Italian”. This is fine print, but native speakers do it automatically.

Days of the week: lunedì vs il lunedì

Days of the week and months take no italian articles when you refer to a single, specific occurrence. But italian articles appear when the meaning is habitual or distributive, that is, “every Monday”, “on Mondays”.

  • Partiamo lunedì prossimo.
    We’re leaving next Monday. (one specific occasion)
  • Il lunedì vado in palestra.
    On Mondays I go to the gym. (every Monday, habit)
  • Mio padre lavora il sabato.
    My father works on Saturdays. (habit)
  • Ci vediamo venerdì alle otto.
    See you Friday at eight. (one occasion)
  • La domenica andiamo sempre dai nonni.
    On Sundays we always go to the grandparents’.

The same logic applies to months. Partiamo ad agosto (a single trip in August), but L’agosto romano è insopportabile (August in Rome, the recurring phenomenon, with a defining adjective). Months almost always go bare when you’re just dating an event: Finiamo a maggio, Il concorso è a novembre, Sono nato in luglio.

Fixed expressions after a and in: a casa, in chiesa

After the prepositions a and in, Italian frequently drops italian articles when the noun refers to a familiar, habitual location. These are set phrases that work like single units of meaning. The list is long and worth memorizing because there is no shortcut.

  • Stiamo a casa stasera.
    We’re staying home tonight.
  • Lorenzo va a scuola in bicicletta.
    Lorenzo goes to school by bike.
  • Andiamo a teatro venerdì.
    We’re going to the theatre on Friday.
  • Caterina è in chiesa per la messa.
    Caterina is at church for mass.
  • Niccolò lavora in banca.
    Niccolò works at a bank.
  • Sono in ufficio fino alle sette.
    I’m at the office until seven.
  • Andiamo in montagna a Natale.
    We’re going to the mountains at Christmas.
  • Vado in macchina, non in autobus.
    I’m going by car, not by bus.

Notice the bare nouns in a casa, a scuola, a teatro, a tavola, in banca, in chiesa, in ufficio, in macchina, in tasca, in mano, in autobus. They form quasi-idiomatic units. As soon as you specify which school, church, or office, italian articles reappear: Vado alla scuola elementare di mia figlia, Sono nella chiesa di San Frediano, Lavoro nell’ufficio del direttore. The trigger for italian articles is specification.

🎯 Mini-task: Article or no article? Choose the natural Italian version.

  1. Vado (a / alla) scuola alle otto.
  2. Conosci (Italia / l’Italia)? È molto bella.
  3. Caterina parla bene (francese / il francese).
  4. Mi piace (caffè / il caffè) la mattina.
  5. Domani vado (in Toscana / nella Toscana).
  6. (Lunedì / Il lunedì) prossimo parto per Lucca.
👉 See answers

 

1. Vado a scuola alle otto. (fixed expression with a)

2. Conosci l’Italia? (country as object, article required)

3. Caterina parla bene il francese. (adverb bene brings article back)

4. Mi piace il caffè la mattina. (generic noun, article required)

5. Domani vado in Toscana. (feminine singular region with in, no article)

6. Lunedì prossimo parto per Lucca. (specific occurrence, no article)

Verbal expressions: ho fame, fa caldo

A whole family of common Italian expressions joins a bare noun to a verb without italian articles. These are fixed verbal phrases where the noun expresses a state, a sensation, or a habitual action. The most frequent ones are built around avere and fare.

  • Ho fame, andiamo a mangiare.
    I’m hungry, let’s go eat.
  • Caterina ha sonno e va a letto presto.
    Caterina is sleepy and goes to bed early.
  • Hai ragione, scusami.
    You’re right, sorry.
  • Non ho tempo per la palestra oggi.
    I don’t have time for the gym today.
  • Fa caldo a Lucca in agosto.
    It’s hot in Lucca in August.
  • Lorenzo prende sempre nota di tutto.
    Lorenzo always takes notes on everything.
  • Niccolò ha trovato lavoro in una libreria.
    Niccolò found a job in a bookshop.

The pattern extends to: aver paura, aver sete, aver freddo, aver caldo, aver bisogno, aver voglia, aver fretta, far caso, far paura, far piacere, perdere tempo, prendere fuoco, prendere sonno, cambiare idea, chiudere bottega. In each case the noun is a generic concept welded to the verb, not a specific thing. As soon as the noun becomes specific, italian articles reappear: Ho fame (I’m hungry, a state) vs Ho mangiato la fame della giornata (I ate the hunger of the day, a defined hunger).

After con, senza, and the zero article with di

The prepositions con and senza often drop italian articles when they introduce an adverbial expression of manner or accompaniment: con calma, con gioia, senza paura, senza fretta. Italian articles reappear only when the noun is identified as a specific item: Sono uscito senza il cappotto pesante (a particular coat), vs Sono uscito senza cappotto (no coat at all).

  • Parla con calma, ti ascolto.
    Speak calmly, I’m listening.
  • Niccolò lavora con passione.
    Niccolò works with passion.
  • Sono partito senza soldi.
    I left without money.
  • Andiamo, senza fretta.
    Let’s go, no rush.
  • Mi ha risposto senza emozione.
    He answered me without emotion.

There’s also the partitive question. When you want to say “some bread”, “some flowers”, “some water”, Italian offers two paths: del pane / dei fiori / dell’acqua (partitive: di + article) or simply pane / fiori / acqua (zero article). Both work. The bare noun is especially natural in negative sentences and after senza: Non mangio pane, Non c’è acqua, Sono rimasto senza soldi. The partitive form is preferred when you want to highlight an actual quantity: Ho comprato del pane fresco, Ci sono dei fiori sul tavolo.

Cheat sheet: USE article vs NO article

This table summarizes the main cases for italian articles. Use it as a quick reference whenever you hesitate.

CaseArticle?Italian exampleEnglish
Generic conceptYESAdoro il caffè.I love coffee.
Abstract nounYESLa libertà è preziosa.Freedom is precious.
Body parts (own)YES, no possessiveMi lavo le mani.I wash my hands.
Country, region, big islandYESL’Italia, la Sicilia.Italy, Sicily.
Country after inNO (fem. sing.)Vivo in Italia.I live in Italy.
Language with studiare, conoscereYESStudio l’italiano.I study Italian.
Language with parlareNOParlo italiano.I speak Italian.
Singular family + possessiveNOMia madre, tuo padre.My mother, your father.
Plural family / with loroYESI miei fratelli, il loro padre.My brothers, their father.
Names of people, citiesNOVado a Lucca, ho visto Niccolò.I go to Lucca, I saw Niccolò.
Day, single occurrenceNOPartiamo lunedì.We leave Monday.
Day, habitualYESIl lunedì vado in palestra.On Mondays I go to the gym.
Fixed expressions a/inNOA casa, in chiesa, in ufficio.At home, at church, at the office.
Verbal expressionsNOHo fame, fa caldo.I’m hungry, it’s hot.
Con / senza adverbialNOCon calma, senza paura.Calmly, without fear.
Partitive / zero articleOPTIONALMangio (del) pane.I eat (some) bread.

Dialogue at the edicola in Lucca

Caterina and Niccolò meet at the edicola on Piazza San Michele in Lucca. Notice how naturally italian articles appear and disappear in their everyday conversation.

👩🏼‍🦰 Caterina: Ciao Niccolò! Sei già in piedi a quest’ora?
Hi Niccolò! You’re already up at this hour?

👨🏽‍🦱 Niccolò: Sì, vado in ufficio presto oggi. Devo finire un lavoro entro venerdì.
Yes, I’m going to the office early today. I have to finish a job by Friday.

👩🏼‍🦰 Caterina: Anch’io. Ho preso il giornale per mio padre, lui adora la cronaca locale.
Me too. I picked up the newspaper for my dad, he loves local news.

👨🏽‍🦱 Niccolò: Bello. Mia madre invece legge solo i romanzi storici. La domenica si chiude in salotto e non parla con nessuno.
Nice. My mother on the other hand only reads historical novels. On Sundays she shuts herself in the living room and doesn’t talk to anyone.

👩🏼‍🦰 Caterina: Ho capito. Senti, hai sonno o ti va un caffè veloce al bar qui di fronte?
Got it. Listen, are you sleepy or do you fancy a quick coffee at the bar across the street?

👨🏽‍🦱 Niccolò: Volentieri. Ho fame anche, magari prendo qualcosa. A casa stamattina non c’era niente da mangiare.
Gladly. I’m also hungry, maybe I’ll grab something. At home this morning there was nothing to eat.

👩🏼‍🦰 Caterina: Lorenzo non fa la spesa?
Doesn’t Lorenzo do the shopping?

👨🏽‍🦱 Niccolò: Mio fratello? Mai. Lui pensa solo al lavoro e al calcio. Senza di me a casa non ci sarebbe nemmeno il pane.
My brother? Never. He only thinks about work and football. Without me at home there wouldn’t even be bread.

👩🏼‍🦰 Caterina: Tipico. Andiamo, ti offro io il caffè.
Typical. Let’s go, the coffee’s on me.

👨🏽‍🦱 Niccolò: Grazie. La prossima volta tocca a me. Studi ancora l’italiano avanzato la sera?
Thanks. Next time it’s on me. Are you still studying advanced Italian in the evenings?

👩🏼‍🦰 Caterina: Sì, due volte a settimana. Parlo italiano in casa, ovviamente, ma sulla grammatica ho ancora tanto da imparare.
Yes, twice a week. I speak Italian at home, obviously, but on grammar I still have a lot to learn.

What to notice in the dialogue

  • Vado in ufficio / a casa / al bar: fixed locative expressions. In ufficio and a casa have no article; al bar has it because bar normally pairs with the article in modern Italian.
  • Per mio padre / Mia madre / Mio fratello: singular family members with possessives, no article.
  • Il giornale / la cronaca / i romanzi storici / il pane / il caffè: generic or defined nouns, article required.
  • Ho sonno / Ho fame: verbal expressions with bare noun.
  • Parlo italiano in casa / Studi l’italiano avanzato: classic parlare vs studiare contrast.
  • La domenica: habitual day, article required.

Mini-challenge

🎯 Final challenge: Translate into natural Italian.

  1. My sister works in Bologna.
  2. I love coffee in the morning.
  3. Caterina speaks Italian very well.
  4. We’re going to church on Sunday.
  5. Niccolò washes his hands before eating.
  6. I live in Italy but I work in Switzerland.
  7. On Mondays I go to the gym.
👉 See answers

 

1. Mia sorella lavora a Bologna. (singular family no article, city no article)

2. Adoro il caffè la mattina. (generic, article required)

3. Caterina parla molto bene l’italiano. (with adverb bene, article comes back)

4. Andiamo in chiesa domenica. (fixed expression + single occurrence day)

5. Niccolò si lava le mani prima di mangiare. (body parts with definite article, not possessive)

6. Vivo in Italia ma lavoro in Svizzera. (feminine singular country after in, no article)

7. Il lunedì vado in palestra. (habitual day, article required)

Test your understanding

Take the quiz below to test what you’ve learned about italian articles and when to use or drop them.

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Frequently asked questions

These questions about italian articles come from real conversations among Italian learners on WordReference Forums. The rules for italian article use and omission are documented in the Accademia della Crusca guide to choosing the article.

Why do Italians say ‘mi lavo le mani’ and not ‘mi lavo le mie mani’?

Because in Italian, when you talk about your own body parts, the definite article does the work the possessive does in English. The reflexive pronoun mi already tells everyone whose hands we mean, so adding mie would be redundant. The same rule applies to si pettina i capelli, mi fanno male i piedi, ha gli occhi azzurri. Saying mi lavo le mie mani is not exactly wrong, but it sounds odd to native ears, almost as if you were emphasizing whose hands specifically.

Is it ‘parlo italiano’ or ‘parlo l’italiano’?

With the verb parlare, Italians drop the article by default: parlo italiano, parlo francese, parlo spagnolo. The bare noun treats the language almost like an adverb, meaning ‘I communicate in Italian’. With other verbs like studiare, conoscere, insegnare, capire, the article comes back: studio l’italiano, conosco bene lo spagnolo. And if you add an adverb after parlare, the article often reappears too: parlo bene l’italiano, parlo correntemente il francese. The article tracks the focus: pure communication drops it, defined skill or study brings it back.

Why no article in ‘mia madre’ but yes in ‘la mia macchina’?

Because Italian makes a special exception for singular, unmodified family members. Mia madre, tuo padre, suo fratello, nostra zia: no article. The family bond is already personal and unique enough that the article would feel like overkill. With every other noun, the possessive takes its article: la mia macchina, il mio libro, i miei amici. And the family exception breaks down in four cases: plural (i miei fratelli), with loro (il loro padre), with a diminutive or adjective (la mia sorellina, il mio fratello maggiore), and colloquially with mamma and papà.

Why do we say ‘vado in Italia’ but ‘amo l’Italia’?

Because the preposition in causes the article to disappear when followed by a feminine singular country or region name. Amo l’Italia keeps the article because Italia is the object of the verb. Vado in Italia drops it because in + feminine singular country is a fixed pattern: vivo in Francia, parto per la Toscana, sono in Sicilia. With masculine country names the article often stays: vado nel Lazio, vivo nel Veneto, abito negli Stati Uniti. Plural names like Stati Uniti always keep the article: negli Stati Uniti, ai Paesi Bassi.

Why no article in ‘a casa’, ‘in chiesa’, ‘a scuola’?

Because after the prepositions a and in, Italian drops the article with nouns that name habitual, familiar locations. The preposition and the noun form a kind of set phrase: a casa, a scuola, a teatro, a tavola, in banca, in chiesa, in ufficio, in mano, in tasca, in macchina, in autobus. These expressions function almost like single units of meaning. As soon as you specify which church or which office, the article comes back: vado nella chiesa di San Frediano, lavoro nell’ufficio del direttore, sono andato alla scuola di mia figlia. Specification triggers the article.

When do I use ‘lunedì’ alone and when ‘il lunedì’?

You use bare lunedì when you mean one specific Monday, a single occurrence: partiamo lunedì prossimo, ci vediamo lunedì, ti chiamo lunedì sera. You use il lunedì when you mean the habit, the recurring Monday: il lunedì vado in palestra, il sabato mio padre lavora, la domenica andiamo dai nonni. The article signals the distributive meaning, like English ‘on Mondays’ or ‘every Monday’. The same logic applies to months: partiamo ad agosto (one trip) vs l’agosto romano è insopportabile (August in Rome as a recurring phenomenon).

Is ‘la Maria’ wrong? When can I use article before a name?

In standard Italian, names of people go without an article: ho visto Maria, vado da Niccolò, conosci Lorenzo? Using la Maria or il Mario is regional, mostly Tuscan and northern Italian dialects, and sounds quaint or quirky in formal contexts. With women’s surnames in formal writing, the article is sometimes used: la Quacquarini, la Tibiletti. With famous historical figures the article adds emotional distance or familiarity: il Manzoni, il Leopardi, il Petrarca. With first names of historical figures, no article: Dante, Michelangelo, Leonardo. And of course no article for one’s own name: pronto, sono Niccolò, never sono il Niccolò.

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Riccardo
Milanese, graduated in Italian literature a long time ago, I began teaching Italian online in Japan back in 2003. I usually spend winter in Tokyo and go back to Italy when the cherry blossoms shed their petals. I do not use social media.

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6 thoughts on “Italian Articles: When to Use Them and When to Drop (A2)”

  1. Ciao Riccardo,
    Io e il mio amico pratichiamo l’italiano insieme.Diciamo qualcosa in inglese e poi in italiano.La sua frase e’ stata ‘How do you say them?’La mia risposta e’ stata ‘Come si dicono?’La sua rispota…’Come li dici?’ Quale e’ corretto? Anche, in questo caso si usa ‘li’ o ‘le’? A proposito, ‘them’ = ‘these words—queste parole’. Grazie. Nicky in Canada

    Reply

    • Le due frasi suonano innaturali perché il punto di partenza è l’inglese. “Come si dicono” o “come le dici” potrebbero essere due traduzioni possibili, ma fuori da un contesto non hanno molto senso. Ciao.

      Reply

  3. Ciao Riccardo. Una domanda. Nella frase ‘Ho letto nella tua biografica che parli male l’italiano.’ Qui, si usa l’articolo con ‘italiano’. MA in questa frase ‘Per quanto mi riguarda, le parole inglesi suovano duramente mentre le parole italiana suovano come musica’. In questa frase non si usa l’articolo con italiana. Perche’? Quali e’ la ragione o la regola? Grazie. Nicky in Canada

    Reply

    • Ciao Nicky.

      Ho letto nella tua biografia (non “biografica”) che parli male l’italiano. = La lingua italiana = sostantivo.

      Quando si parla di “lingua italiana”, si può dire: “Parli (l’) italiano?” o “Parli bene l’italiano?”. Nel secondo caso si usa l’articolo, nel primo è un’opzione, ma per non sbagliare è sempre meglio usare l’articolo. Per esempio, “capisci l’italiano” vuole l’articolo.

      C’è qualche errore nella seconda frase. La correggo.

      “Per quanto mi riguarda, le parole inglesi suonano dure, mentre le parole italiane suonano come musica”.

      Le parole italiane = aggettivo. In questo caso, non ci vuole l’articolo perché “italiane” è un semplice aggettivo.

      Spero che la spiegazione sia chiara. Ciao.

      Reply

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