Gli Articoli - The Articles

The articles are always next to other words.
They can be used alone because they don't have a meaning themselves.
They are combined with a noun and they have an important role.

In Italian language there are 2 kinds of articles:

1. DETERMINATIVI - DEFINITE ARTICLES
2. INDETERMINATIVI - INDEFINITE ARTICLES

In Italian we make a distinction between Male and Female and between Singular and Plural.

1.  DETERMINATIVI  -  DEFINITE  ARTICLES:

It is used to indicate a person/animal/thing well known by the person who speaks and the person who talks.
It can be traslated in English with THE

Example:   "In giardino c'è IL cane" - ( There is the dog in the garden)

The dog is well known and definite.


Male Singular:   IL - L' - LO

Male Plural:     I - GLI

Male Singular :

• IL  + singular male nouns which begin with CONSONANT

                "IL + libro" - ( the book)

• L' + singular male nouns which begin with VOWEL

              "L' + orologio" - (the clock)

• LO  + singular male nouns which begin with these letters: S+consonant, Z, Y, PS, PN, GN, X.

           "LO + studente" - (the student)
           "LO + zaino" -  (the backpack)
           "LO + yogurt - (the yogurt)
           "LO + psicologo - (the psychologist)
           "LO + pneumatico - (the tyre)
           "LO + gnomo" - (the gnome)
           "LO + xilofono"- (the xilophone)

Male Plural:

• I + nouns which begin with CONSONANT

           "I + libri" - (the books)

 

 

• GLI + nouns which begin with these letters: S+consonant, Z, Y, PS, PN, GN, X.

           "GLI + studenti" - (the students)

           "GLI + zaini" -  (the backpacks)
           "GLI + yogurt - (the yogurts)
           "GLI+ psicologi - (the psychologists)
           "GLI+ pneumatici - (the tyres)
           "GLI+ gnomi" - (the gnomes)
           "GLI + xilofoni"- (the xilophones)


Female Singular :   LA  - L'
Female Plural:   LE

Female Singular :

• LA + nouns which begin with a CONSONANT

         "LA + penna" - (the pen)

 

• L' +  the nouns which begin with a VOWEL

         "L' + ape" - (the bee)

 

Female Plural: 

•  LE + nouns which begin with CONSONANT or VOWEL

          "LE + penne" - (the pens)

          "LE + api" - (the bees) 

 

 

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2. INDETERMINATIVI - INDEFINITE ARTICLES

It is used to indicate a person/animal/thing which is general and not know by the person who speaks and the person who talks.
It can be translated in English with A/AN

Example:  " In giardino c'è UN cane" -  ( There is a dog in the garden)

The dog is not known and it can be any dog.

!!! There is NO Plural  of indefinite articles.

  Male Singular:  UN - UNO 

 

• UN  + nouns which begin with CONSONANT or VOWEL

            "UN + quaderno" - (a notebook)

            "UN + uomo" - (a man) 

 

• UNO  + begin with these letters: S+consonant, Z, Y, PS, PN, GN, X

          "UNO + studente" - (a student)

           "UNO + zaino" -  (a backpack)
           "UNO + yogurt - (a yogurt)
           "UNO + psicologo - (a psychologist)
           "UNO + pneumatico - (a tyre)
           "UNO + gnomo" - (a gnome)
           "UNO + xilofono"- (a xilophone)

 Female Singular :  UNA -UN'       

 

•  UNA + nouns whcih begin with a CONSONANT

            "UNA + stella" - ( a star)

• UN' + noun which begin with a VOWEL

            "UN' + ape" - ( a bee)