Definite and indefinite articles in Italian
DEFINITE & INDEFINITE ARTICLES
In this lesson we teach you all about definite and indefinite articles in Italian.
Articles are words that cannot stand alone, because they do not have a meaning of their own; they are always put in front of a noun and have some important functions.
In Italian, there are different articles according to the gender and number of the word they refer to. There are 3 different types of articles: definite, indefinite, and partitive.
DEFINITE ARTICLES
Definite articles indicate a person, an animal or a thing that is determined and known to the speaker and the listener, like the English “the”.
There are 7 different definite articles, all with the same meaning, that are chosen according to the gender, number, and initial of the word they refer to.
MASCULINE:
| masculine singular | example | masculine plural | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| IL Singular masculine words beginning with a consonant | il mare, il tavolo, il gelato | I Plural masculine words beginning with a consonant | i pinguini, i cani, i tavoli |
| LO Singular masculine words beginning with: s+consonant, gn, pn, ps, x, y, z | lo studio, lo zaino, lo psicologo | GLI Plural masculine words beginning with: s+consonant, gn, pn, ps, x, y, z or a vowel | gli sci, gli zaini, gli amici |
| L’ Singular masculine words beginning with a vowel | l'amore, l'orologio, l'imbuto |
FEMININE:
| feminine singular | example | feminine plural | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| LA Singular feminine words beginning with a consonant | la bottiglia, la scuola, la mamma | LE Plural feminine words | le amiche, le carte, le studentesse |
| L’ Singular feminine words beginning with a vowel | l'idea, l'ora, l'amica |
Definite articles are used with:
| A unique person/thing | Il Papa vive in Vaticano. | The Pope live in Vatican City. |
| An entire species or category | Il leone è il mio animale preferito. | The lion is my favorite animal. |
| Abstract concepts | Non mi piace il caldo. | I don’t like hot weather. |
| Body parts and clothes |
Mettiti le scarpe.
Mi fa male la testa. | Wear the shoes. I have a headache. |
| Dates, if they are not preceded by the day of the week | Oggi è il 17 ottobre. | Today is October 17th. |
| Time | Sono le 4. | It’s 4:00. |
| Countries and continents | Il Giappone è affascinante. | Japan is fascinating. |
| Languages | Voglio imparare l'italiano. | I want to learn Italian. |
| Possessive pronouns and articles | Il mio quaderno è a casa, il tuo? | My notebook is at home, what about yours? |
| A specific person/animal/thing, or one that has been previously mentioned | Il compleanno di Lucia è stato divertente. | Lucia’s birthday was fun. |
| Days or times of the day, to talk about something that takes place regularly | Il giovedì ho lezione di italiano. | On Thursdays I have Italian lessons. |
EXCEPTION || Definite articles are not used with possessive adjectives in front of singular nouns for family members👇🏼
As you may have noticed, almost every noun in Italian is preceded by a definite article.
INDEFINITE ARTICLES
Indefinite articles indicate a person, an animal or a thing that are not determined or specified, like the English “a”, “an”, or “some”.
In Italian, there are 7 indefinite articles, all with the same meaning, that are chosen according to the gender, number and initial of the word they refer to.
MASCULINE:
| masculine singular | example | masculine plural | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| UN Singular masculine words beginning with a consonant or a vowel | un amico, un tavolo, un gelato | DEI Plural masculine words beginning with a consonant | dei pinguini, dei cani, dei tavoli |
| UNO Singular masculine words beginning with: s+consonant, gn, pn, ps, x, y, z | uno studio, uno zaino, uno psicologo | DEGLI Plural masculine words beginning with: s+consonant, gn, pn, ps, x, y, z or a vowel | degli sci, degli zaini, degli amici |
FEMININE:
| feminine singular | example | feminine plural | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNA Singular feminine words beginning with a consonant | una bottiglia, una scuola, una mamma | DELLE Plural feminine words | delle amiche, delle carte, delle studentesse |
| UN’ Singular feminine words beginning with a vowel | un'idea, un'ora, un'amica |
Indefinite articles are used with a person/animal/thing that you don’t want to specify further:
| italian | english |
|---|---|
| Mi ha chiamato un amico. | A friend called me. |
| Prendi una matita e scrivi. | Take a pencil and write. |
| Vorrei regalargli un libro. | I want to give him a book. |
PARTITIVE ARTICLES
Partitive articles are used in reference to an indefinite part of a whole, meaning “a certain amount of”. They are used with uncountable nouns.
MASCULINE:
| MASCULINE SINGULAR | EXPLANATION | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| DEL | Masculine uncountable words beginning with a consonant | del burro, del pane, del pesce |
| DELLO | Masculine uncountable words beginning with: s+consonant, gn, pn, ps, x, y, z | dello zucchero |
| DELL’ | Masculine uncountable words beginning with a vowel | dell'olio |
FEMININE:
| FEMININE SINGULAR | EXPLANATION | EXAMPLE |
|---|---|---|
| DELLA | Feminine uncountable words beginning with a consonant | della carne |
| DELL’ | Feminine uncountable words beginning with a vowel | dell'acqua |
ARTICLE OMISSION
The majority of words in Italian require a definite article, but there are some cases in which you have to omit the article:
| People or pets’ names and surnames | Maria è qui. | Maria is here |
| Cities | Roma è bella. | Rome is beautiful. |
| Planets | Marte è chiamato "Il pianeta rosso". | Mars is called “The red planet”. |
| With possessive adjectives in front of singular nouns for family members | Mia sorella ha 20 anni. | My sister is 20 years old. |
| Months and days | Ci vediamo a Maggio. | See you in May |
If a day is preceded by a definite article, it means “every”👇🏼
The best way to learn articles is by using them, hearing them, and reading them. Keep on practicing and Italian articles will have no more secrets!
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FAQs
What’s the difference between un’ and un?
The difference between “un” and “un'” in Italian is based on the gender of the following noun.
“Un” is used before masculine nouns
“Un'” is used before feminine nouns that begin with a vowel sound.
Example: un amico, un’amica.
How many types of Italian articles are there?
There are three types of Italian articles: definite, indefinite, and partitive.
Are there cases where articles are omitted in Italian?
Yes. This mainly happens with proper nouns (people’s names, brands, names of pets, cities and continents).
When are definite articles used in Italian?
Definite articles are used with singular and plural nouns to refer to unique entities, entire categories, abstract concepts, body parts, clothes, dates, times, titles, countries, continents, languages, and more. Basically, almost every time you use a noun!
How do indefinite articles function in Italian?
Indefinite articles indicate an unspecified person, animal, thing, or quantity. They are equivalent to English “a,” “an,” or “some.”
What is the purpose of partitive articles in Italian?
Partitive articles are used when referring to an indefinite part of a whole, indicating “a certain amount of.” They are used with uncountable nouns.