1.2.4: Gli articoli determinativi

​​​​​What is a definite article? Che cos’è un articolo determinativo?

In English, we use one word to say "the." In Italian, there are several forms, and each one gives you helpful clues about the noun that follows. These small words tell you if the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural, and they change depending on how the word begins. They may seem tricky at first, but they follow clear patterns.

The key is to start learning them together with the noun as you build your vocabulary. Say them out loud, not just in your head. Try not to focus only on filling in blanks. Use your mouth muscles and imitate the sounds. The more you say them, the more familiar and natural they will feel.

Learning Objectives

• Recognize and correctly use the seven forms of the definite article (il, lo, la, l’, i, gli, le) in Italian
• Match definite articles with nouns based on gender, number, and the first letter of the word
• Apply article-noun agreement using common vocabulary from food and café culture
• Identify the gender and number of Italian food nouns (maschile/femminile, singolare/plurale)
• Convert nouns from singular to plural and vice versa using appropriate grammar rules

In English, we use one word for “the”. In Italian, there are seven different forms of "the" depending on three factors:

1. The gender of the noun (masculine or feminine),

2. Whether it is singular or plural, and

3. The first letter(s) of the word that follows.

These little words—the definite articles—not only tell you that the noun is specific, but they also give helpful clues about its form.

Figure \(\PageIndex{1}\): The pen (la penna), the book (il libro), the receipt (lo scontrino), the glasses (gli occhiali).(Copyright CC BY-NC 4.0; Author Diana Ferrara)

The table below shows how to choose the correct definite article in Italian based on gender, number (singular/plural), and the first letter or sound of the following noun.

 

Forms of the Definite Article.

Genere	Singolare	Plurale	Quando si usa?
Maschile	il libro	i libri	Before most consonants
	lo studente	gli studenti	Before s+consonant, z, gn, ps, x
	l’orologio	gli orologi	Before vowels
Femminile	la penna	le penne	Before consonants
	l’agenda	le agende	Before vowels

 

Un passo alla volta

Learning seven forms of “the” can feel overwhelming, but don’t panic! Focus first on these common, regular patterns:

• il becomes i

• la becomes le

• l’  (masculine) becomes gli

• l’ (feminine) becomes le

Over time, articles will feel more natural—especially when you learn each noun together with its article. For example:

• il cappuccino
• la brioche
• l’aranciata

This will help you guess the gender of unfamiliar nouns too!

Practice Activities 

Exercise\(\PageIndex{1}\)

Maschile o femminile? Singolare or plurale?

Use what you've learned to complete the chart below.

Words: la pizza, gli asparagi, le bruschette, gli gnocchi, lo zucchero, il caffè, l’aranciata, le lasagne, la mozzarella, i tortellini

Classification of Italian Food Vocabulary by Gender (Maschile/Femminile) and Number (Singolare/Plurale)

	Singolare	Plurale
Maschile
Femminile

 

Exercise\(\PageIndex{2}\)

Singular to Plural (Dal Singolare al Plurale) 

Write the plural form of each word with its correct definite article.

1. il panino → ______________________________________
2. il tè → ______________________________________
3. l’insalata → ______________________________________
4. la torta → ______________________________________
5. l’oliva → ______________________________________
6. il limone → ______________________________________
7. l’arancino → ______________________________________
8. lo stuzzichino → ______________________________________
9. il succo di frutta → ______________________________________
10. il cappuccino → ______________________________________

Note

Many Italian food words are used internationally but often incorrectly.
For example, panini is plural in Italian. The singular form is panino.
So, “a panini” is not grammatically correct, and “two paninis” is redundant.
In Italian, say “un panino” or “due panini” to get it right!

Exercise\(\PageIndex{3}\)

Plural to Singular ( Dal plurale al singolare)

Write the singular form of the following words using the appropriate definite article.

1. le bruschette → ______________________________________
2. i caffè → ______________________________________
3. i cannoli → ______________________________________
4. gli zuccheri → ______________________________________
5. le aranciate → ______________________________________