Italian grammar · Beginner (A1)
Articles: il, lo, la, l', i, gli, le and un, uno, una, un'
Which word for “the” and “a” to use in Italian, and how the first letter of the next word decides it.
Italian has several words for “the”
Every Italian noun (a word for a thing, person or idea) is masculine or feminine. The word for “the” changes with the gender, with singular or plural, and with the first sound of the next word.
Masculine nouns take and when they start with a vowel, s + consonant (st, sp, sc…), z, gn, ps or y. Before a vowel, both and shorten to . All other masculine nouns take and .
| Masculine or feminine | Next word starts with | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | most consonants | ||
| masculine | s + consonant, z, gn, ps, y | , | , |
| masculine | a vowel | ||
| feminine | a consonant | ||
| feminine | a vowel |
- il treno e i trenithe train and the trains
- lo zio e gli ziithe uncle and the uncles
- l'albergo e gli alberghithe hotel and the hotels
- la stazione e le stazionithe station and the stations
“A” and “an”: un, uno, una, un'
The word for “a” follows the same pattern. Masculine nouns take , or before s + consonant, z, gn, ps and y. Feminine nouns take , or before a vowel.
Only the feminine form has an apostrophe: (a female friend) but (a male friend). There is no plural “a”.
| Word | Used with | Example |
|---|---|---|
| most masculine nouns, also before a vowel | , | |
| masculine nouns starting with s + consonant, z, gn, ps, y | , | |
| feminine nouns starting with a consonant | ||
| feminine nouns starting with a vowel |
- Un cappuccino, per favore.A cappuccino, please.
- C'è uno sconto?Is there a discount?
- Ho un'idea.I have an idea.
Italian uses “the” more often than English
Italian uses the article in many places where English has none: in general statements, before possessive words like (my), and before titles such as or when you talk about someone.
When you speak to the person, drop the article:
- Mi piace il caffè.I like coffee.
- La vita è bella.Life is beautiful.
- Dov'è la mia borsa?Where's my bag?
- La dottoressa Bruni arriva alle dieci.Dr Bruni arrives at ten.