Definite articles: Italian grammar lesson 5

Do you want to know more about definite articles in Italian? In this grammar lesson, you will learn how to say “the” in Italian with simple rules, examples, sentences, audio, and exercises.

Start here

You’ll receive my free resources together with my best offers! Opt out at any time.

What are definite articles in Italian?

Definite articles (articoli determinativi) refer to or introduce a particular, specific noun or a known concept (something that was previously mentioned).

Italian definite articles have different forms according to the following things:

  • The gender of the noun (masculine or feminine)
  • The number of the noun (singular or plural)
  • The first letters of the noun or adjective that it precedes

How to say “the” in Italian?

Italian definite articles generally correspond to the English article “the”, but while in English “the” has only one form, in Italian there is a total of 7 different definite articles: LO, IL, LA, L’, GLI, I, LE.

Yes, they all mean “the” in Italian!

This makes learning definite articles a bit more complicated, but once you know the structure, it’s relatively simple to get used to.

Tip: definite articles are great clues to understand the noun’s grammatical gender!

Learn more about nouns’ gender in Italian by reading here.

Definite Articles: Conjugation

Singular, masculine:

  • LO: it is used for all singular masculine nouns beginning with z, gn, or s+consonant
  • IL: it is used for all singular masculine nouns beginning with a consonant, except the nouns for which LO is used instead.
  • L’: it is used for all singular masculine nouns beginning with a vowel

Singular, feminine:

  • LA: it is used for all singular feminine nouns starting with a consonant.
  • L’: it is used for all singular feminine nouns beginning with a vowel

Plural, masculine:

  • GLI: it is used for all plural masculine nouns starting with vowels, z, gn, or s+consonant
  • I: it is used for all other plural masculine nouns

Plural, feminine:

  • LE: it is used for all plural feminine nouns.

You can follow this table for the conjugation of singular and feminine nouns, according to the word’s number (singular and plural) and beginning.

Masculine Feminine
Singular LO studente (=student)

specchio (=mirror)

zero (=zero)

zaino (=backpack)

gnomo (=gnome)

LA borsa (=bag)

casa (=house)

studentessa (=female student)

IL cameriere (=waiter)

sole (=sun)

libro (=book)

L’ amore (=love)

insegnante (=teacher)

uomo (=man)

L’ attrice (=actress)

elettricità (=electricity)

Plural I camerieri (=waiters)

libri (=books)

LE borse (=bags)

case (=houses)

studentesse (=female students)

GLI insegnanti (=teachers)
Free Guide
How to Learn Languages Fast

uomini (=men)

studenti (=students)

studenti (=students)

zaini (=backpacks)

When to use definite Articles

Let’s look at when to use definite articles and some example sentences.

  • To indicate a particular/specific thing, person, or object:

Hai visto il gatto di Maria?

Have you seen Maria’s cat?

Mi hanno rubato il passaporto

They stole my passport

  • To indicate something that was mentioned previously:

Maria ha un gatto. Il suo gatto è bellissimo!

Maria has a cat. Her cat is beautiful!

  • To talk about parts of the body:

Mi fa male la testa.

My head hurts.

Luca si è rotto il braccio.

Luca broke his arm.

  • To indicate a category or a species in a generic sense:

Mi piacciono i gatti.

I like cats.

Il cane è il miglior amico dell’uomo.

Dog is man’s best friend.

  • Before the name of a language, except when the verbs parlare (to speak) or studiare (to study).

In those cases, it’s up to you whether you want to use it or not.

L’italiano è una lingua molto musical.

Italian is a very musical language.

Mi piace imparare l’italiano.

I like learning Italian.

  • To refer to geographical locations, such as:
  1. Continents: l’America, l’Europa
  2. Countries: l’Italia, la Spagna
  3. Regions: la Toscana
  4. Islands: la Silicia, il Madagascar
  5. Rivers: il Tevere
  6. Mountains: il Monte Bianco

Practice with Quizlet

Here's a set of flashcards and quizzes to practice this grammar topic.

Definite articles: what do you need to remember

Definite articles (articoli determinativi) are words that refer to or introduce a particular, specific noun or a known concept (something that was previously mentioned).

In Italian, definite articles have different forms depending on the gender of the noun (masculine or feminine), the number of the noun (singular or plural), and the first letters of the noun or adjective that it precedes.

It may seem a bit complicated to learn at first, but once you understand the structure, it’s quite simple to get used to. And as a bonus, definite articles are a great way to help you figure out the grammatical gender of the noun.

Definite articles are used to indicate a particular/specific thing, person, or object, something that was mentioned previously, parts of the body, categories or species in a generic sense, and geographical locations.

There you have it! Now you know all about definite articles in Italian.

Still translating in your head? Wanna speak Italian for real? Check out Stefano's courses to think directly in Italian and become fluent fast!

FAQs on Definite articles: Italian grammar lesson 5

How do articles work in Italy?

Definite articles il (singular) and i (plural) are used for masculine nouns starting with a consonant. Feminine nouns (without regard to the initial letters) are denoted by la (singular) and le (plural).

How do you identify articles in Italian?

The initial letter of a word affects the choice of the definite article that should be used.

What are the 7 definite articles in Italian?

There are 7 distinct Italian definite articles: LO, IL, LA, L', GLI, I, and LE. In English, “the” has only one form, but in Italian there are seven.

Stefano

Italian language tutor, course author, and polyglot. After learning 12 languages, I can tell you that we all master languages by listening and mimicking. With my method, you'll be speaking Italian from Lesson 1.

Follow me to fluency​

Receive my free resources once a week together with my best offers! No need to look around, just tell me where to send everything.

Follow me to fluency

Receive my free resources once a week together with my best offers! No need to look around, just tell me where to send everything.

Opt out at any time.

Leave a Reply

Share:

Still translating in your head?

Wanna speak Italian for real? Check out Stefano’s courses to think directly in Italian and become fluent fast!
Try my courses for free​
ripeti con me mockup sm

Let me show you around

Overcome your Barriers

Anything holding you back from becoming fluent?
Get on the right track today with my free checklist!

pain learning languages checklist preview
How long to fluency?

Find out how long it will take you to master Italian!
Get on the right track in 3 minutes.

dolce vita logo

We're already friends!

Coming from Luca and Marina?
Here's a special deal for you!
Just tell me where I should send the coupon.

50% OFF
all language resources

We're already friends!

Coming from All Language Resources?
Here's a special deal for you!
Just tell me where I should send the coupon.

50% OFF
GRAB A COUPON NOW, REDEEM IT LATER
50% OFF

To receive free resources once a week together with my best offers, just tell me where to send everything. Opt out at any time.