{"id":59742,"date":"2026-05-12T08:39:11","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T23:39:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/?p=59742"},"modified":"2026-05-13T06:22:46","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T21:22:46","slug":"italian-articles-with-countries","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-articles-with-countries\/","title":{"rendered":"Italian Articles with Countries: il, la, gli \u2014 A1 Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>\ud83d\udd0d <strong>In short.<\/strong> <strong>Italian articles with countries<\/strong> work differently from English: you say <em>l&#8217;Italia<\/em>, <em>il Giappone<\/em>, <em>gli Stati Uniti<\/em>, with the article built in. But the moment you put <em>in<\/em> in front of a feminine country, the article disappears: <em>in Italia<\/em>, <em>in Francia<\/em>. Plurals keep the article (<em>negli Stati Uniti<\/em>), a few countries refuse it (Cuba, Malta, Israele, San Marino), small islands and cities drop it (<em>a Capri<\/em>, <em>a Roma<\/em>), and a handful of cities carry the article inside the name itself: <em>L&#8217;Aquila<\/em>, <em>La Spezia<\/em>, <em>Il Cairo<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-pilot-toc\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<h2 class=\"gb-headline gb-headline-pilot-toc-title gb-headline-text\">Cosa impareremo oggi<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"has-text-align-center\">\ud83d\udc46\ud83c\udffb Jump to section<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity is-style-wide\" \/>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#one-liner-rule\">The one-liner rule for Italian articles with countries<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#countries-take-article\">Countries take the article: il, la, gli, le<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#in-drops-article\">After &#8220;in&#8221;, the article often disappears<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#cities-and-small-islands\">Cities and small islands: bare name, no article<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#cities-with-article-inside\">Cities whose name contains the article<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#rivers-lakes-mountains\">Rivers, lakes and mountains<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#six-traps\">Six traps where English speakers get it wrong<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#dialogue\">Dialogue at the travel agency in Padova<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#mini-challenge\">Mini-challenge<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#faq\">Frequently asked questions<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#related\">Related guides<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\" \/>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"#quiz\">Quiz<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"one-liner-rule\">The one-liner rule for Italian articles with countries<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Italian places put their article inside the name: <em>l&#8217;Italia<\/em>, <em>la Francia<\/em>, <em>il Giappone<\/em>. English doesn&#8217;t. This mismatch is the gap most learners trip over for the first two months. The exception kicks in after the preposition <strong>in<\/strong>: with a feminine singular country, the article disappears (<em>in Italia<\/em>, <em>in Francia<\/em>, <em>in Calabria<\/em>). Cities don&#8217;t use the article at all, except for the few that have it baked into the name. Small islands behave like cities; large islands behave like regions. Rivers, lakes and mountains always come with the article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"countries-take-article\">Countries take the article: il, la, gli, le<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>When you talk about a country, <strong>Italian articles with countries<\/strong> are mandatory: the noun comes with its <a href=\"https:\/\/www.treccani.it\/enciclopedia\/articoli-determinativi_(La-grammatica-italiana)\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">definite article<\/a>. English doesn&#8217;t, and that mismatch sounds odd at first: &#8220;I love the Italy&#8221; is wrong in English but feels natural to Italians.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>L&#8217;Italia<\/em> \u00e8 un paese mediterraneo.. Italy is a Mediterranean country.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>La Francia<\/em> confina con l&#8217;Italia.. France borders Italy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Il Giappone<\/em> esporta auto in tutto il mondo.. Japan exports cars worldwide.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Gli Stati Uniti<\/em> hanno cinquanta stati.. The United States has fifty states.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Le Filippine<\/em> sono un arcipelago.. The Philippines is an archipelago.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The article matches the gender and number of the country name. Most countries ending in <em>-a<\/em> are feminine (<em>la Francia, la Germania, l&#8217;Italia, la Spagna<\/em>). Most ending in <em>-o<\/em> or in a consonant are masculine (<em>il Brasile, il Portogallo, l&#8217;Egitto, il Canada<\/em>). Plural names take <em>gli<\/em> or <em>le<\/em>: <em>gli Stati Uniti, le Filippine, i Paesi Bassi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The same rule applies to regions and continents: <em>la Toscana, il Veneto, l&#8217;Umbria, l&#8217;Europa, l&#8217;Asia, l&#8217;Africa<\/em>. When you talk about them as nouns, the article comes along.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"in-drops-article\">After &#8220;in&#8221;, the article often disappears<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>This is the rule most English speakers miss when learning Italian articles with countries. The preposition <strong>in<\/strong> in front of a feminine singular country or region drops the article completely:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Vivo in Italia. <em>I live in Italy. (Not &#8220;nella Italia.&#8221;)<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Vado in Francia ogni estate. <em>I go to France every summer.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mio cugino studia in Spagna. <em>My cousin studies in Spain.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>L&#8217;incidente \u00e8 successo in Calabria. <em>The accident happened in Calabria.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>With masculine singular countries the rule loosens. Some always drop the article (<em>in Egitto<\/em>), some allow both (<em>in Portogallo<\/em> or <em>nel Portogallo<\/em>, <em>in Messico<\/em> or <em>nel Messico<\/em>). The article-less version sounds more idiomatic in everyday speech; the version with article is more formal or written. When in doubt, drop it. This split keeps Italian articles with countries flexible in spoken usage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Plural countries are the clear exception: the article must stay and combine with <strong>in<\/strong> to make a contracted form.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Vado negli Stati Uniti.<\/em>. I&#8217;m going to the United States. (in + gli = <strong>negli<\/strong>)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lavora nei Paesi Bassi. <em>He works in the Netherlands.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Una vacanza nelle Filippine. <em>A holiday in the Philippines.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The same logic applies after the preposition <strong>di<\/strong> when you want to express &#8220;of&#8221;: <em>la capitale dell&#8217;Italia, della Francia, della Germania<\/em>. Plural and most modified country names keep the article: <em>la cucina degli Stati Uniti, la storia dei Paesi Bassi<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-task-pilot-1\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p>\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Mini-challenge:<\/strong> Fill in the article (or write a dash if none is needed).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mio padre \u00e8 nato in ___ Sicilia, ma vive in ___ Germania da trent&#8217;anni.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>___ Australia \u00e8 il paese pi\u00f9 grande dell&#8217;Oceania.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lorenzo ha lavorato negli ___ Stati Uniti e poi in ___ Portogallo.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Camilla parla bene ___ inglese perch\u00e9 ha studiato in ___ Inghilterra.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>___ Cuba e ___ Malta sono due isole senza articolo.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<details><summary><strong>\ud83d\udc49 See answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>1. <strong>.<\/strong> Sicilia, <strong>.<\/strong> Germania (after <em>in<\/em>, feminine singular drops the article)<\/p>\n<p>2. <strong>L&#8217;<\/strong>Australia (subject, no preposition: article required)<\/p>\n<p>3. <strong>.<\/strong> Stati Uniti (already inside <em>negli<\/em>), <strong>.<\/strong> Portogallo (masculine, can drop)<\/p>\n<p>4. <strong>L&#8217;<\/strong>inglese (language as object, takes article), <strong>.<\/strong> Inghilterra (after <em>in<\/em>, feminine drops)<\/p>\n<p>5. <strong>.<\/strong> Cuba, <strong>.<\/strong> Malta (these countries never take the article)<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cities-and-small-islands\">Cities and small islands: bare name, no article<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Cities follow a different logic than Italian articles with countries. Cities don&#8217;t take the article. You say <em>Vado a Roma<\/em>, <em>Vivo a Padova<\/em>, <em>Ho passato un weekend a Firenze<\/em>. The pattern is <strong>a + city<\/strong>, no article anywhere. The Accademia della Crusca discusses <a href=\"https:\/\/accademiadellacrusca.it\/it\/consulenza\/perch%C3%A9-sono-di-roma-ma-non-sono-dellitalia\/1359\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">why we say <em>sono di Roma<\/em> but not <em>sono dell&#8217;Italia<\/em><\/a> in their Q&amp;A archive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Niccol\u00f2 si \u00e8 trasferito a Modena per lavoro. <em>Niccol\u00f2 moved to Modena for work.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>A Lucca i muri della citt\u00e0 vecchia sono ancora in piedi. <em>In Lucca, the old city walls are still standing.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Ho un amico che vive a Lecce. <em>I have a friend who lives in Lecce.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Small islands behave like cities. They&#8217;re a place, not a region: bare name, preposition <strong>a<\/strong>, no article.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Andiamo a Capri questo weekend. <em>We&#8217;re going to Capri this weekend.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Si \u00e8 sposata a Ischia. <em>She got married on Ischia.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>I traghetti per Pantelleria partono da Trapani. <em>Ferries for Pantelleria leave from Trapani.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>But <a href=\"https:\/\/accademiadellacrusca.it\/it\/consulenza\/articoli-e-preposizioni-davanti-ai-nomi-delle-isole\/1300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">large islands that are also administrative regions<\/a> follow the country\/region rule, not the city rule. So you say <em>la Sicilia, la Sardegna, la Corsica<\/em> with the article, and <em>in Sicilia, in Sardegna, in Corsica<\/em> after <em>in<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A small group of countries also behaves like cities: they refuse the article entirely. The list to memorize: <strong>Cuba, Malta, San Marino, Andorra, Israele, Monaco<\/strong> (plus a few less common ones like Singapore and Taiwan). With these, you say <em>vado a Cuba<\/em>, <em>vivo a Malta<\/em>, <em>la presidente di Israele<\/em>. No <em>la<\/em>, no <em>il<\/em>, no <em>nella<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cities-with-article-inside\">Cities whose name contains the article<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While most Italian articles with countries follow the rules above, six city names in common Italian carry the article as part of the name itself. You can&#8217;t drop it, and you have to combine it with the preposition correctly. Capital first letter on the article: it&#8217;s part of the noun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>L&#8217;Aquila<\/strong> (in Abruzzo): <em>Vado all&#8217;Aquila \/ Vivo all&#8217;Aquila \/ Sono dell&#8217;Aquila.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>La Spezia<\/strong> (in Liguria): <em>Andiamo alla Spezia \/ Sono di La Spezia.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Il Cairo<\/strong> (in Egitto): <em>Al Cairo c&#8217;\u00e8 caldo \/ Sono stato al Cairo.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>L&#8217;Aia<\/strong> (in Olanda, The Hague): <em>La corte internazionale ha sede all&#8217;Aia.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>La Mecca<\/strong> (in Arabia Saudita): <em>Il pellegrinaggio alla Mecca.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>L&#8217;Avana<\/strong> (in Cuba, Havana): <em>Sigaro dell&#8217;Avana \/ Sono andato all&#8217;Avana.<\/em><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>One more situation forces an article on a city: when you add an adjective or descriptive phrase. <em>Parigi<\/em> is just Paris, but <em>la Parigi medievale<\/em> is &#8220;medieval Paris&#8221;: the adjective triggers the article. The same goes for any restrictive modifier: <em>la Roma del Rinascimento, la Firenze dei Medici, la Milano industriale degli anni Sessanta<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"rivers-lakes-mountains\">Rivers, lakes and mountains: always with article<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Like Italian articles with countries, natural features keep the article in every grammatical context. Rivers, lakes and mountains are treated as common nouns with a proper name attached, and Italian always specifies them with <em>il, la, l&#8217;<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><em>Il Po<\/em> nasce in Piemonte.. The Po rises in Piedmont.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Il Tamigi<\/em> attraversa Londra.. The Thames crosses London.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Il lago di Garda<\/em> \u00e8 il pi\u00f9 grande d&#8217;Italia.. Lake Garda is Italy&#8217;s largest lake.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>L&#8217;Etna<\/em> ha eruttato di nuovo a marzo.. Etna erupted again in March.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Le Alpi<\/em> separano l&#8217;Italia dalla Francia.. The Alps separate Italy from France.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><em>Il Cervino<\/em> \u00e8 in Valle d&#8217;Aosta.. The Matterhorn is in Aosta Valley.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>English drops the article for most lakes (&#8220;Lake Garda&#8221;, &#8220;Lake Como&#8221;) and for individual mountains (&#8220;Etna erupted&#8221;). Italian doesn&#8217;t. When you describe a natural feature in a sentence, the article is part of the package.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"six-traps\">Six traps where English speakers get it wrong<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>These are the six mistakes about Italian articles with countries that show up over and over again in student writing and speaking. Mastering Italian articles with countries means avoiding these specific pitfalls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"trap-1\">Trap 1: &#8220;Vado a Italia&#8221; instead of &#8220;Vado in Italia&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>English uses <em>to<\/em> for both cities and countries: &#8220;I&#8217;m going to Rome&#8221;, &#8220;I&#8217;m going to Italy&#8221;. Italian splits the work: <strong>a<\/strong> for cities and small islands, <strong>in<\/strong> for countries and regions. So it&#8217;s <em>vado a Roma<\/em> but <em>vado in Italia<\/em>; <em>vado a Capri<\/em> but <em>vado in Sicilia<\/em>. The two prepositions are not interchangeable. Getting them mixed up is the single most common mistake learners make with Italian articles with countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"trap-2\">Trap 2: &#8220;Amo Italia&#8221; instead of &#8220;Amo l&#8217;Italia&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8220;I love Italy&#8221; in English drops the article. Italian doesn&#8217;t. When the country is a noun (subject or object of a verb without preposition), you need <em>l&#8217;, il, la, gli, le<\/em>. <em>Amo l&#8217;Italia, conosco la Francia, studio il giapponese, visito gli Stati Uniti.<\/em> The instinct from English is to drop the article here, but Italian requires it. This is the foundation of Italian articles with countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"trap-3\">Trap 3: &#8220;Vivo nell&#8217;Italia&#8221;. Over-applying the article after &#8220;in&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>After step 2 you know countries need the article. Now remember that after <em>in<\/em> with a feminine singular country, that article disappears again. This in\/no-article alternation is the trickiest aspect of Italian articles with countries. <em>Vivo in Italia<\/em>, not <em>nell&#8217;Italia<\/em>. <em>Studio in Francia<\/em>, not <em>nella Francia<\/em>. The article comes back only with plurals (<em>negli Stati Uniti<\/em>) or with adjective-modified names (<em>nella Francia del Sud<\/em>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"trap-4\">Trap 4: &#8220;La Cuba \u00e8 bella&#8221;. Forcing an article on countries that don&#8217;t have one<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some countries simply don&#8217;t take the article. Just say the name. <em>Cuba \u00e8 bellissima, Malta \u00e8 piccola, sono stato in Israele, vivo a San Marino.<\/em> The short list is worth memorizing: Cuba, Malta, Israele, San Marino, Andorra, Monaco. (Plus a few like Singapore and Taiwan.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"trap-5\">Trap 5: &#8220;Vado a Sicilia&#8221; instead of &#8220;Vado in Sicilia&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica look like islands, but in Italian they&#8217;re treated as regions. They use the article (<em>la Sicilia, la Sardegna, la Corsica<\/em>) and they take <em>in<\/em> after a preposition (<em>vado in Sicilia, vivo in Sardegna<\/em>). The &#8220;small island&#8221; rule (<em>a Capri, a Ischia<\/em>) applies only to actual small islands, not to large regional ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"trap-6\">Trap 6: &#8220;Vivo a Aquila&#8221; instead of &#8220;Vivo all&#8217;Aquila&#8221;<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>For the handful of cities whose names contain the article (L&#8217;Aquila, La Spezia, Il Cairo, L&#8217;Aia, La Mecca, L&#8217;Avana), you can&#8217;t drop it. And when you combine with a preposition, you have to merge: <strong>a + L&#8217; = all&#8217;<\/strong>, <strong>a + La = alla<\/strong>, <strong>a + Il = al<\/strong>. So: <em>all&#8217;Aquila, alla Spezia, al Cairo, all&#8217;Aia, alla Mecca, all&#8217;Avana<\/em>. Always.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"gb-container gb-container-task-pilot-2\"><div class=\"gb-inside-container\">\n\n<p>\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Mini-challenge:<\/strong> Choose the correct option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Caterina \u00e8 andata <strong>(a \/ in)<\/strong> Firenze per il fine settimana.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pietro si \u00e8 trasferito <strong>(a \/ in \/ all&#8217;)<\/strong> Aquila per studiare medicina.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mia sorella vive <strong>(in \/ nei \/ nelle)<\/strong> Stati Uniti da cinque anni.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>L&#8217;Etna \u00e8 il vulcano pi\u00f9 alto <strong>(d&#8217;Europa \/ dell&#8217;Europa)<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Mi piace molto <strong>(la \/ .)<\/strong> Sicilia in primavera.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<details><summary><strong>\ud83d\udc49 See answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>1. <strong>a Firenze<\/strong> (city \u2192 &#8220;a&#8221;, no article)<\/p>\n<p>2. <strong>all&#8217;Aquila<\/strong> (article is part of the city name; a + L&#8217; = all&#8217;)<\/p>\n<p>3. <strong>negli Stati Uniti<\/strong> (plural country keeps article; in + gli = negli)<\/p>\n<p>4. <strong>d&#8217;Europa<\/strong> (set expression; with continents and &#8220;di&#8221; the article can drop in fixed phrases)<\/p>\n<p>5. <strong>la Sicilia<\/strong> (region treated as country: article required when name is object\/subject)<\/p>\n<\/details>\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"cheat-sheet\">Cheat sheet<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Use this cheat sheet to review Italian articles with countries, regions, islands and natural features at a glance. The table covers every rule and exception about Italian articles with countries discussed above.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><thead><tr><th>Place type<\/th><th>Rule<\/th><th>Italian example<\/th><th>English<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Country (fem. sing.)<\/td><td>Article + <em>in<\/em> drops article<\/td><td>l&#8217;Italia \u2192 in Italia<\/td><td>Italy \/ to Italy<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Country (masc. sing.)<\/td><td>Article + <em>in<\/em> often drops (variable)<\/td><td>il Giappone \u2192 in Giappone<\/td><td>Japan \/ to Japan<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Country (plural)<\/td><td>Article always kept<\/td><td>gli Stati Uniti \u2192 negli Stati Uniti<\/td><td>the US \/ to the US<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Countries without article<\/td><td>Bare name, preposition <em>a<\/em> or <em>in<\/em><\/td><td>Cuba, Malta, Israele, San Marino, Andorra, Monaco<\/td><td>Cuba, Malta&#8230;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Italian region (fem.)<\/td><td>Like a feminine country<\/td><td>la Toscana \u2192 in Toscana<\/td><td>Tuscany \/ to Tuscany<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Large island = region<\/td><td>Like a region<\/td><td>la Sicilia \u2192 in Sicilia<\/td><td>Sicily \/ to Sicily<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Small island<\/td><td>Bare name + <em>a<\/em><\/td><td>Capri \u2192 a Capri<\/td><td>Capri \/ to Capri<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>City (general)<\/td><td>No article + <em>a<\/em><\/td><td>Roma \u2192 a Roma<\/td><td>Rome \/ to Rome<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>City with article in name<\/td><td>Article kept, combines with prep.<\/td><td>L&#8217;Aquila \u2192 all&#8217;Aquila<\/td><td>L&#8217;Aquila \/ to L&#8217;Aquila<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>City + adjective<\/td><td>Article required<\/td><td>la Parigi medievale<\/td><td>medieval Paris<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>River \/ lake \/ mountain<\/td><td>Article always required<\/td><td>il Po, il lago di Garda, l&#8217;Etna<\/td><td>the Po, Lake Garda, Etna<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"dialogue\">Dialogue at the travel agency in Padova<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The following dialogue shows Italian articles with countries in real-life use. Notice how the speakers handle <em>in Sicilia<\/em>, <em>gli Stati Uniti<\/em>, <em>all&#8217;Aquila<\/em> and <em>a Ischia<\/em> without ever explaining the rules: they simply apply them.<\/p>\n\n\n<p><!-- \/wp:post-content --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:generateblocks\/container {\"uniqueId\":\"dialog-pilot\",\"isDynamic\":true,\"blockVersion\":4,\"useInnerContainer\":true,\"spacing\":{\"paddingTop\":\"25px\",\"paddingBottom\":\"25px\",\"paddingLeft\":\"25px\",\"paddingRight\":\"25px\",\"marginTop\":\"28px\",\"marginBottom\":\"28px\"},\"borders\":{\"borderTopWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderTopStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderTopColor\":\"#dddddd\",\"borderBottomWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderBottomStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderBottomColor\":\"#dddddd\",\"borderLeftWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderLeftStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderLeftColor\":\"#dddddd\",\"borderRightWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderRightStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderRightColor\":\"#dddddd\",\"borderTopLeftRadius\":\"10px\",\"borderTopRightRadius\":\"10px\",\"borderBottomLeftRadius\":\"10px\",\"borderBottomRightRadius\":\"10px\"}} --><br \/><!-- wp:list --><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>\ud83e\uddd4\ud83c\udffb <strong>Niccol\u00f2:<\/strong> Allora Giulia, ho qualche giorno libero a luglio. Stavo pensando alla Sicilia, o magari al mare in Croazia.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Giulia:<\/strong> Dipende da te. Spiaggia o anche un po&#8217; di citt\u00e0?<\/li>\n<li>\ud83e\uddd4\ud83c\udffb <strong>Niccol\u00f2:<\/strong> Mah, tutte e due. In Sicilia ci sono Catania, Palermo, Siracusa&#8230; E poi Taormina, no?<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Giulia:<\/strong> Esatto. In Sicilia trovi di tutto. Se preferisci tranquillit\u00e0, per\u00f2, ti consiglio anche Cefal\u00f9.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83e\uddd4\ud83c\udffb <strong>Niccol\u00f2:<\/strong> E la Croazia?<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Giulia:<\/strong> Belle isole, piccole. Hvar \u00e8 pi\u00f9 movimentata, Kor\u010dula pi\u00f9 rilassata. A Hvar la sera c&#8217;\u00e8 gente, a Kor\u010dula no.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83e\uddd4\ud83c\udffb <strong>Niccol\u00f2:<\/strong> Senti, e per qualcosa di pi\u00f9 lontano? Gli Stati Uniti d&#8217;estate?<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Giulia:<\/strong> Caldissimi. In Arizona, in Nevada, superi i 40. Se vuoi qualcosa di esotico ma pi\u00f9 mite, c&#8217;\u00e8 il Costa Rica. Anche il Messico, ma \u00e8 stagione di piogge.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83e\uddd4\ud83c\udffb <strong>Niccol\u00f2:<\/strong> Mmh. Ah, mio cugino vive all&#8217;Aquila, prima di partire vorrei passare a trovarlo.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Giulia:<\/strong> Ah bene, all&#8217;Aquila d&#8217;estate si sta benissimo. Aria di montagna.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83e\uddd4\ud83c\udffb <strong>Niccol\u00f2:<\/strong> E Capri? Non ci sono mai stato.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Giulia:<\/strong> Eh, Capri ad agosto \u00e8 un disastro. Troppa gente. A Ischia invece trovi posto e spendi anche meno.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83e\uddd4\ud83c\udffb <strong>Niccol\u00f2:<\/strong> Va bene, dai. Allora preparami tre preventivi: Sicilia con Taormina, Croazia con due isole, e Ischia.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Giulia:<\/strong> Mercoled\u00ec pomeriggio te li mando per email. Ti va?<\/li>\n<li>\ud83e\uddd4\ud83c\udffb <strong>Niccol\u00f2:<\/strong> Perfetto. Grazie Giulia, a mercoled\u00ec.<\/li>\n<li>\ud83d\udc69\ud83c\udffb <strong>Giulia:<\/strong> Ciao Niccol\u00f2!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list --><br \/><!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/container --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:heading {\"level\":3} --><\/p>\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What to notice in the dialogue<\/h3>\n<p><!-- \/wp:heading --><br \/><!-- wp:list --><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>in Sicilia, in Croazia, in Arizona, in Nevada<\/strong>. feminine singular regions\/countries, no article after <em>in<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>il Costa Rica, il Messico<\/strong>. masculine countries with article when subject (&#8220;c&#8217;\u00e8 il Costa Rica&#8221;), but <em>in Costa Rica<\/em>, <em>in Messico<\/em> after the preposition.<\/li>\n<li><strong>gli Stati Uniti<\/strong>. plural country keeps the article always.<\/li>\n<li><strong>a Catania, a Palermo, a Siracusa, a Taormina, a Cefal\u00f9, a Hvar, a Kor\u010dula, a Ischia<\/strong>. cities and small islands: <em>a<\/em> + name, no article.<\/li>\n<li><strong>all&#8217;Aquila<\/strong>. the city&#8217;s name contains the article, so <em>a + L&#8217; = all&#8217;<\/em>.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Capri<\/strong>. small island, no article: &#8220;Capri \u00e8 un disastro&#8221;, &#8220;a Capri&#8221;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:heading {\"level\":2} --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"mini-challenge\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Mini-challenge<\/h2>\n<p><!-- \/wp:heading --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:generateblocks\/container {\"uniqueId\":\"task-final\",\"backgroundColor\":\"#fffaf2\",\"isDynamic\":true,\"blockVersion\":4,\"useInnerContainer\":true,\"spacing\":{\"paddingTop\":\"20px\",\"paddingRight\":\"25px\",\"paddingBottom\":\"20px\",\"paddingLeft\":\"25px\",\"marginBottom\":\"25px\"},\"borders\":{\"borderTopWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderTopStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderTopColor\":\"#ab2227\",\"borderRightWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderRightStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderRightColor\":\"#ab2227\",\"borderBottomWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderBottomStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderBottomColor\":\"#ab2227\",\"borderLeftWidth\":\"1px\",\"borderLeftStyle\":\"solid\",\"borderLeftColor\":\"#ab2227\",\"borderTopLeftRadius\":\"14px\",\"borderTopRightRadius\":\"14px\",\"borderBottomRightRadius\":\"14px\",\"borderBottomLeftRadius\":\"14px\"}} --><br \/><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>\ud83c\udfaf <strong>Final challenge:<\/strong> Translate the sentences into Italian.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><br \/><!-- wp:list {\"ordered\":true} --><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>I love Italy, but in summer I go to Sicily.<\/li>\n<li>My sister lives in the United States and works in California.<\/li>\n<li>The Po is the longest river in Italy.<\/li>\n<li>I went to Capri last year and to L&#8217;Aquila this year.<\/li>\n<li>Cuba and Malta are two islands without an article.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list --><br \/><!-- wp:html --><\/p>\n<details>\n<summary><strong>\ud83d\udc49 See answers<\/strong><\/summary>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>1. <em>Amo l&#8217;Italia, ma in estate vado in Sicilia.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>2. <em>Mia sorella vive negli Stati Uniti e lavora in California.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>3. <em>Il Po \u00e8 il fiume pi\u00f9 lungo d&#8217;Italia.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>4. <em>Sono andato a Capri l&#8217;anno scorso e all&#8217;Aquila quest&#8217;anno.<\/em><\/p>\n<p>5. <em>Cuba e Malta sono due isole senza articolo.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/details>\n<p><!-- \/wp:html --><br \/><!-- \/wp:generateblocks\/container --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:heading {\"level\":2} --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"faq\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Frequently asked questions<\/h2>\n<p><!-- \/wp:heading --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>These questions about Italian articles with countries come from real conversations among Italian learners online. They cover the gray areas where rules look contradictory but actually aren&#8217;t, once you trace the logic back to the gender, number and category of the place name.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:rank-math\/faq-block {\"questions\":[{\"id\":\"faq-art-q1\",\"title\":\"Why does Italian say l'Italia but English just says Italy?\",\"content\":\"Italian articles with countries reflect a wider pattern: Italian treats country names as definite entities that already exist in shared knowledge, so it marks them with the definite article (l'Italia, la Francia, il Giappone). English doesn't follow the same logic. It treats most country names as proper nouns that need no determiner, except for plural or descriptive names (the United States, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic). Once you accept that countries in Italian come with their article built in, the rest of the system makes sense. The article only goes silent after the preposition in with feminine singular country names: l'Italia becomes in Italia, la Francia becomes in Francia, la Toscana becomes in Toscana.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-art-q2\",\"title\":\"Is it vado in Italia or vado nell'Italia?\",\"content\":\"Vado in Italia is correct. The rule for Italian articles with countries states that after the preposition in with a feminine singular country, region or continent, Italian drops the definite article: in Italia, in Francia, in Toscana, in Europa. The contracted form nell'Italia is only used when a modifier specifies a particular slice of the country: nell'Italia del Sud (in southern Italy), nell'Italia degli anni Settanta (in the Italy of the seventies). Plural countries keep the article and combine with in: negli Stati Uniti, nelle Filippine, nei Paesi Bassi.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-art-q3\",\"title\":\"Why no article with Cuba, Malta, San Marino, Andorra and Israele?\",\"content\":\"These countries are treated more like cities than full regional entities, partly because of their small size and partly for historical reasons. They follow the city rule: bare name with the preposition a (vado a Cuba, vivo a Malta) or with in (sono nato in Israele). The short list to remember: Cuba, Malta, Israele, San Marino, Andorra, Monaco. A few other names sometimes behave similarly (Singapore, Taiwan), but the six listed above are the ones you'll meet most often. None of them ever takes the article.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-art-q4\",\"title\":\"Is it la capitale della Francia or la capitale di Francia?\",\"content\":\"La capitale della Francia is the standard, neutral form and the one to use in everyday Italian: della Francia, della Germania, dell'Inghilterra, del Portogallo. The shorter form la capitale di Francia exists but feels literary or old-fashioned. You'll find it in poetry, in slogans, or in fixed expressions like vini di Francia (French wines, in commercial language). For normal writing and speaking, always use the form with article and contracted preposition: di + l'Italia = dell'Italia, di + la Francia = della Francia.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-art-q5\",\"title\":\"Why does La Spezia take an article but Roma doesn't?\",\"content\":\"La Spezia is one of six Italian city names where the article is genuinely part of the noun, baked into the name itself: La Spezia, L'Aquila, Il Cairo, L'Aia, La Mecca, L'Avana. These are not cities that take the article. They are cities whose name literally contains the article. Roma, Milano, Firenze and the other thousands of Italian cities follow the standard rule: no article. When you combine La Spezia or L'Aquila with a preposition, the article merges in: alla Spezia, all'Aquila, dal Cairo, dell'Aia.\",\"visible\":true},{\"id\":\"faq-art-q6\",\"title\":\"Vado a Sicilia or vado in Sicilia?\",\"content\":\"Vado in Sicilia. Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica are large islands but they're also full administrative regions, so they follow the country\/region rule rather than the island rule. You say in Sicilia, in Sardegna, in Corsica with the preposition in, and you keep the article when the name is a noun: la Sicilia \u00e8 una regione, conosco la Sardegna. The small island rule (a Capri, a Ischia, a Pantelleria) applies only to actual small islands that aren't regions. The same goes for many foreign islands: a Cipro, a Maiorca, a Cuba.\",\"visible\":true}],\"titleWrapper\":\"h3\"} --><\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-rank-math-faq-block\">\n<h3 id=\"faq-art-q1\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Why does Italian say l&#8217;Italia but English just says Italy?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">Italian articles with countries reflect a wider pattern: Italian treats country names as definite entities that already exist in shared knowledge, so it marks them with the definite article (l&#8217;Italia, la Francia, il Giappone). English doesn&#8217;t follow the same logic. It treats most country names as proper nouns that need no determiner, except for plural or descriptive names (the United States, the United Kingdom, the Czech Republic). Once you accept that countries in Italian come with their article built in, the rest of the system makes sense. The article only goes silent after the preposition in with feminine singular country names: l&#8217;Italia becomes in Italia, la Francia becomes in Francia, la Toscana becomes in Toscana.<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-art-q2\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Is it vado in Italia or vado nell&#8217;Italia?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">Vado in Italia is correct. The rule for Italian articles with countries states that after the preposition in with a feminine singular country, region or continent, Italian drops the definite article: in Italia, in Francia, in Toscana, in Europa. The contracted form nell&#8217;Italia is only used when a modifier specifies a particular slice of the country: nell&#8217;Italia del Sud (in southern Italy), nell&#8217;Italia degli anni Settanta (in the Italy of the seventies). Plural countries keep the article and combine with in: negli Stati Uniti, nelle Filippine, nei Paesi Bassi.<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-art-q3\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Why no article with Cuba, Malta, San Marino, Andorra and Israele?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">These countries are treated more like cities than full regional entities, partly because of their small size and partly for historical reasons. They follow the city rule: bare name with the preposition a (vado a Cuba, vivo a Malta) or with in (sono nato in Israele). The short list to remember: Cuba, Malta, Israele, San Marino, Andorra, Monaco. A few other names sometimes behave similarly (Singapore, Taiwan), but the six listed above are the ones you&#8217;ll meet most often. None of them ever takes the article.<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-art-q4\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Is it la capitale della Francia or la capitale di Francia?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">La capitale della Francia is the standard, neutral form and the one to use in everyday Italian: della Francia, della Germania, dell&#8217;Inghilterra, del Portogallo. The shorter form la capitale di Francia exists but feels literary or old-fashioned. You&#8217;ll find it in poetry, in slogans, or in fixed expressions like vini di Francia (French wines, in commercial language). For normal writing and speaking, always use the form with article and contracted preposition: di + l&#8217;Italia = dell&#8217;Italia, di + la Francia = della Francia.<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-art-q5\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Why does La Spezia take an article but Roma doesn&#8217;t?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">La Spezia is one of six Italian city names where the article is genuinely part of the noun, baked into the name itself: La Spezia, L&#8217;Aquila, Il Cairo, L&#8217;Aia, La Mecca, L&#8217;Avana. These are not cities that take the article. They are cities whose name literally contains the article. Roma, Milano, Firenze and the other thousands of Italian cities follow the standard rule: no article. When you combine La Spezia or L&#8217;Aquila with a preposition, the article merges in: alla Spezia, all&#8217;Aquila, dal Cairo, dell&#8217;Aia.<\/div>\n<h3 id=\"faq-art-q6\" class=\"rank-math-question\">Vado a Sicilia or vado in Sicilia?<\/h3>\n<div class=\"rank-math-answer\">Vado in Sicilia. Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica are large islands but they&#8217;re also full administrative regions, so they follow the country\/region rule rather than the island rule. You say in Sicilia, in Sardegna, in Corsica with the preposition in, and you keep the article when the name is a noun: la Sicilia \u00e8 una regione, conosco la Sardegna. The small island rule (a Capri, a Ischia, a Pantelleria) applies only to actual small islands that aren&#8217;t regions. The same goes for many foreign islands: a Cipro, a Maiorca, a Cuba.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><!-- \/wp:rank-math\/faq-block --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:heading {\"level\":2} --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"quiz\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Test your understanding<\/h2>\n<p><!-- \/wp:heading --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p>Take the quiz below to test what you&#8217;ve learned about Italian articles with countries.<\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:paragraph --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:html --><br \/><!-- QUIZ PLACEHOLDER: replace with [WpProQuiz N] shortcode once quiz is built --><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;padding: 30px;background: #f4f5f6;border-radius: 10px;color: #888\"><em><\/em><\/p>\n<p><!-- \/wp:html --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:heading {\"level\":2} --><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"related\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Related guides<\/h2>\n<p><!-- \/wp:heading --><\/p>\n<p><!-- wp:list --><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-articles\/\">Italian Articles: Definite, Indefinite, and Preposizioni Articolate<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-preposition-da\/\">Italian Preposition DA: The Complete Guide for English Speakers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-di-vs-da\/\">Italian DI vs DA: The Complete Guide for English Speakers<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-nouns\/\">Italian Nouns: 7 Rules for Gender and Plurals<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-demonstratives\/\">Italian Demonstratives: questo, quello, ci\u00f2 and stesso<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><!-- \/wp:list --><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\ud83d\udd0d In short. Italian articles with countries work differently from English: you say l&#8217;Italia, il Giappone, gli Stati Uniti, with the article built in. But the moment you put in in front of a feminine country, the article disappears: in Italia, in Francia. Plurals keep the article (negli Stati Uniti), a few countries refuse it &#8230; <a title=\"Italian Articles with Countries: il, la, gli \u2014 A1 Guide\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/italian-articles-with-countries\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about Italian Articles with Countries: il, la, gli \u2014 A1 Guide\">Read more \u226b<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10020,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_bbp_topic_count":0,"_bbp_reply_count":0,"_bbp_total_topic_count":0,"_bbp_total_reply_count":0,"_bbp_voice_count":0,"_bbp_anonymous_reply_count":0,"_bbp_topic_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_reply_count_hidden":0,"_bbp_forum_subforum_count":0,"pmpro_default_level":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1863],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-59742","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-a1","no-featured-image-padding","pmpro-has-access"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59742","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10020"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=59742"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59742\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":59799,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/59742\/revisions\/59799"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=59742"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=59742"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dante-learning.com\/eng\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=59742"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}