L’articolo
In Italian, articles (articoli) introduce nouns and agree with them in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).
Definite Articles (the)
They specify a particular person, thing, or idea.Definite Articles (the)
| Gender | Noun First Letter | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Consonant | il libro (the book) | i libri (the books) |
| Vowel | l’uomo (the man) | gli uomini (the men) | |
| S+consonant, z, gn, ps, x, y | lo studente (the student) | gli studenti (the students) | |
| Feminine | Consonant | la casa (the house) | le case (the houses) |
| Vowel | l’amica (the friend) | le amiche (the friends) |
Indefinite Articles (a/an)
They introduce something not yet identified.
| Gender | Noun First Letter | Singular |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine | Consonant Vowel | un libro (a book) un amico (a friend) |
| s+consonant, z, gn, ps, x, y | uno studente (a student) | |
| Feminine | Consonant | una casa (a house) |
| Vowel | un’ amica (a friend) |
Notes
- Articles must always agree in gender and number with the noun they accompany.
- In Italian, articles are used more frequently than in English, often even before abstract nouns:
- la libertà (freedom)
- la vita (life)
We hope this lesson was helpful and gave you more clarity on your Italian learning journey. Keep practicing step by step, every word you learn brings you closer to fluency!
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