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Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Master Italian articles with this lesson focused on determinativi like il ragazzo, lo studente, la città, and indeterminativi such as uno studente and una città, essential for gender and number agreement.
  1. The article agrees with the gender and number of the noun.
  2. The article always comes before the noun.
Articoli determinativi (Definite articles)Maschile (Masculine)Femminile (Feminine)
Singolare (Singular)Il
(Il ragazzo (The boy))		Lo
(Lo studente (Lo student))		La 
(La città (The city))
Plurale (Plural)I
(I ragazzi (The boys))		Gli
(Gli studenti (The students))		Le
(Le città (The cities))
Articoli indeterminativi (Indefinite articles)Maschile (Masculine)Femminile (Feminine) 
Singolare (Singular)Un, Uno
(Un ragazzo (A boy))
(Uno studente (A student))		Una
(Una città (A city))		 

Exceptions!

  1. Use uno/una only with words starting with s + consonant or z: uno studente, uno zio.
  2. Use "l'" before words starting with a vowel: l'uomo.
  3. Use "un'" before feminine words that begin with a vowel: un'amica.

Exercise 1: Gli articoli in italiano

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

Un, il, l', un', lo, uno, gli, un

1.
Vivo con ... ragazzo della Spagna.
(I live with a boy from Spain.)
2.
Conosci ... studente portoghese?
(Do you know the Portuguese student?)
3.
Parliamo con ... studenti italiani.
(We speak with the Italian students.)
4.
Conosco ... ragazzo che vive là.
(I know the boy who lives there.)
5.
Fabio è ... studente di Roma.
(Fabio is a student from Rome.)
6.
Ho ... amica di Milano.
(I have a friend from Milan.)
7.
... abitante della Germania.
(An inhabitant of Germany)
8.
Hai visitato ...Italia quest'anno?
(Have you visited Italy this year?)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Vengo da ___ città bella e storica.

(I come from ___ beautiful and historic city.)

2. Lui è ___ studente italiano molto simpatico.

(He is ___ very nice Italian student.)

3. Sono ___ ragazzo che lavora al ristorante.

(I am ___ boy who works at the restaurant.)

4. Lei ha ___ amica che vive a Roma.

(She has ___ friend who lives in Rome.)

5. ___ abitanti di questo paese sono molto gentili.

(___ inhabitants of this town are very kind.)

6. Abbiamo visitato ___ città più belle d'Italia.

(We visited ___ most beautiful cities of Italy.)

Lesson Overview: Articles in Italian

This lesson introduces you to Italian articles, which are essential words used before nouns to indicate gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural). Understanding how to use articles correctly is a fundamental step in Italian grammar, especially for forming clear and natural sentences.

Definite Articles

Definite articles correspond to the English "the" and change according to the noun's gender and number. Here's a simple summary:

  • Masculine Singular: il as in il ragazzo (the boy)
  • Masculine Singular before certain consonants: lo as in lo studente (the student)
  • Feminine Singular: la as in la città (the city)
  • Masculine Plural: i as in i ragazzi (the boys)
  • Masculine Plural before vowels or certain consonants: gli as in gli studenti (the students)
  • Feminine Plural: le as in le città (the cities)

Indefinite Articles

Indefinite articles function like the English "a" or "an" and also vary by gender and the sound the noun begins with:

  • Masculine Singular: un (general use) as in un ragazzo (a boy)
  • Masculine Singular before s + consonant or z: uno as in uno studente, uno zio
  • Feminine Singular: una as in una città
  • Feminine Singular before vowel: un' as in un'amica (a friend)

Important Highlights

  • Articles always come before the noun and must agree with the noun’s gender and number.
  • The form l' is used before vowels for both genders in the definite article; for example, l'uomo (the man).
  • The choice between uno and un depends on specific starting sounds of the next word.

Comparison with English Articles

Unlike English, Italian articles change form not only for singular and plural but also for masculine and feminine gender, which makes mastering their use crucial. There is no direct equivalent to Italian’s gendered articles in English, so practice in context helps internalize these patterns.

Useful phrases that illustrate these differences include:

  • Il ragazzo — "The boy" (masculine singular)
  • La città — "The city" (feminine singular)
  • Uno studente — "A student" (masculine singular, before s + consonant)
  • Un'amica — "A (female) friend" (feminine singular, before vowel)

Remember, paying attention to the first sound of the noun is key to choosing the correct article in Italian.

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Fabio Pirioni

Bachelor in Humanities

University of Udine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 17:19