1.2.2: Gli articoli indeterminativi

What is an Indefinite Article? 

Before you begin expanding your vocabulary, it is essential to understand the indefinite article, the small word that comes before a noun. In English, we use "a" and "an" to refer to something that is not specific. Italian has a similar system, but with a few differences. In Italian, the indefinite article does more than introduce a noun. It also gives you clues about the noun’s gender.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize and use the correct indefinite article (un, uno, una, un’) in Italian
• Identify the gender of a noun by observing its article
• Understand how sound and spelling influence the choice of indefinite article
• Begin building vocabulary by learning nouns together with their articles
• Choose the appropriate indefinite article based on gender and spelling patterns

In English, the indefinite articles are "a" and "an", used to refer to a non-specific person or thing.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): A cup (una tazza, femminile), a glass (un bicchiere, maschile).(Copyright CC BY-NC 4.0; Author Diana Ferrara)

Examples:

• I have a cup. (Io ho una tazza.)

• I have a glass. (Io ho un bicchiere.)

In Italian, we use indefinite articles in a similar way. But here’s something unique:

The word uno/una means both "one" and "a/an."

This means that in Italian, the word for the number one is also the word we use to say "a" or "an." For example:

• Una mela = an apple
• Una mela = one apple

How to Choose the Right Indefinite Article

Indefinite articles in Italian depend on:

• The gender of the noun (masculine or feminine)

• The first letter or sound of the noun

Masculine Nouns

The table shows the correct indefinite article options for masculine nouns based on the first letter or sound.

Article	Used before...	Examples
un	most consonants and vowels	un ragazzo (a boy), un amico (a friend)
uno	s + consonant, z, ps, gn, x, y	uno studente (a student), uno zaino (a backpack), uno psicologo (a psychologist)

Feminine Nouns

The table shows the correct indefinite article options for feminine nouns based on the first letter or sound.

Article	Used before...	Examples
una	consonants	una ragazza (a girl), una pizza (a pizza)
un’	vowels (note the apostrophe)	un’amica (a female friend), un’arancia (an orange)

Un passo alla volta 

Getting into the habit of learning nouns together with their articles — like un fiore, una pizza, uno studente — is one of the most helpful things you can do as a beginner.

Why? Because the article reveals the gender of the noun, which affects how you use adjectives, pronouns, and other grammar structures.

Many nouns (especially those ending in -e) do not give clear gender clues, so the article becomes essential:

• Fiore ends in -e, which could be either gender — but un fiore tells you it is masculine.

• Un elefante (masculine) vs un’esplosione (feminine): they may sound similar when spoken, but in writing, the article makes the difference clear.

Over time, this practice will help you feel more confident and accurate in your Italian. You will recognize patterns, guess genders more easily, and develop a natural instinct for how Italian works.

Practice Activities: Indefinite articles forms

Exercise \(\PageIndex{1}\)

Choose the correct article (Scegli l’articolo corretto)

Choose the correct indefinite article (un, uno, una, un’) for each noun below.

• ____ bar
• ____ scontrino
• ____ amica
• ____ panino
• ____ studente
• ____ zaino
• ____ ragazza
• ____ oliva
• ____ cappuccino
• ____ aranciata

Exercise \(\PageIndex{2}\)

Find the odd one out  (Trova l’intruso)

In each group of four nouns, one has the wrong article based on its gender or spelling. Find the intruder.

• un cornetto – un' cappuccino – un’aranciata – un panino
• una tazza – uno spremuta – uno yogurt – una pizza
• un studente – uno scontrino – uno zaino – una barista
• un gelato – uno gnocco – un' espresso – un’amica
• una caffettiera – uno tavolo – un piatto – un coltello
• una tazza – una fetta – uno biscotto – una cioccolata
• uno yogurt – uno zaino – uno bar – uno gnomo
• una mela – una camomilla – una acqua – una tovaglia
• una panino – un cucchiaino – un’arancia – un bicchiere
• una banana – una spremuta – una pizzetta – uno limone

Exercise \(\PageIndex{3}\)

orrect the wrong article (Correggi l’articolo sbagliato)

Each noun is matched with the wrong indefinite article. Correct it and explain why. Pay attention to gender and the beginning sound of the word.

Example:

• uno bar → un bar (Bar is masculine and starts with a regular consonant, so we use un.)

Now correct the following:

• uno bar →
• una zaino →
• uno acqua →
• un studente →
• un’amico →
• una gnocco →
• un brioche →
• uno tavolo →
• una espresso →
• un aranciata →