Italian articles – Basic Rules & Quiz

Articles in Italian are foundational to grammar and communication. They agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the nouns they accompany. Divided into two primary categories—definite articles (determinativi) and indefinite articles (indeterminativi)—articles are used to provide specificity or generality to the nouns they modify. Additionally, articles in Italian interact with prepositions, foreign words, and various grammatical structures in unique ways. This comprehensive guide covers all you need to know about Italian articles.

Definite Articles (Articoli Determinativi)

Definite articles correspond to “the” in English and are used to refer to specific nouns. The form of the article changes based on the gender, number, and initial sound of the word that follows. These forms include:

Forms of Definite Articles

• Masculine singular:
  • il (e.g., il libro, “the book”)
  • lo (e.g., lo studente, “the student”)
  • l’ before vowels (e.g., l’amico, “the friend”)
• Masculine plural:
  • i (e.g., i libri, “the books”)
  • gli (e.g., gli studenti, “the students”)
  • gli before vowels (e.g., gli amici, “the friends”)
• Feminine singular:
  • la (e.g., la casa, “the house”)
  • l’ before vowels (e.g., l’isola, “the island”)
• Feminine plural:
  • le (e.g., le case, “the houses”)
  • le before vowels (e.g., le idee, “the ideas”)

When to Use “Lo” and “Gli”

The forms lo (singular) and gli (plural) are used for masculine nouns starting with certain sounds:

• s + consonant (e.g., lo studente, “the student”; gli studenti, “the students”)
• z (e.g., lo zaino, “the backpack”; gli zaini, “the backpacks”)
• ps, pn, gn, x (e.g., lo pneumatico, “the tire”; gli pneumatici, “the tires”)
• i + vowel (e.g., gli uomini, “the men”)

Set expressions, such as per lo più (mostly) or gli dei (the gods), preserve older forms of the article.

Indefinite Articles (Articoli Indeterminativi)

Indefinite articles in Italian correspond to “a” or “an” in English and are used to refer to nonspecific or general nouns. These articles are used only in the singular and vary depending on the gender and initial sound of the noun they accompany. Below is a detailed explanation with practical examples:

Forms of Indefinite Articles

• Masculine:
  • un: used with masculine nouns beginning with a vowel or consonant.
    
    Examples: un albero (a tree), un libro (a book), un amico (a friend).
  • uno: used with masculine nouns beginning with:
    • s + consonant (e.g., uno studente, “a student”)
    • z (e.g., uno zaino, “a backpack”)
    • ps, pn, gn, x (e.g., uno pneumatico, “a tire”; uno psicologo, “a psychologist”)
    • i + vowel (e.g., uno iugoslavo, “a Yugoslav”).
• Feminine:
  • una: used with feminine nouns beginning with a consonant.
    
    Examples: una casa (a house), una studentessa (a female student).
  • un’: used with feminine nouns beginning with a vowel, where the apostrophe replaces the a for phonetic reasons.
    
    Examples: un’amica (a friend), un’idea (an idea).

Note that the rules for masculine indefinite articles uno and un exactly mirror those for the corresponding definite articles lo and gli. This consistency makes mastering the correct use of articles easier.

Combining Prepositions with Articles

In Italian, some prepositions combine with definite articles to form contractions known as preposizioni articolate. These combinations simplify grammar and make sentences more fluid. Below are examples of how each preposition combines with articles. Note that not all prepositions can be combined with articles; for instance, per, tra, fra, and con do not merge with articles.

Listen to the correct pronunciation.

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