Gli articoli
Articles
Communicative goal (CEFR A1): I can name and point out objects, people and places from everyday life, using a noun together with the right article. For example, I can describe my room («C’è un letto e una finestra»), ask for something at a café («Un caffè, per favore») or say where something is («Il libro è sul tavolo»). This is the basic «can-do» descriptor: I describe my immediate surroundings with simple sentences.
In una casa: «Questa è la cucina. C’è un tavolo, una sedia e il frigorifero. Vuoi un caffè o del tè?» Hai notato quelle paroline davanti ai nomi — il, la, un, una, del? Sono gli articoli.
In Italian, almost every noun has a small word in front of it: il, la, un, una, del... This is the article. On this sheet you will see what it is for, what types there are and how not to forget it. The golden rule from day one: ALWAYS learn a noun together with its article (not «libro», but «il libro»).
1. Che cos’è un articolo?
Look at the examples and notice the words in bold. There is always something in front of the noun. The article is a short word that comes BEFORE the noun and carries two pieces of information: (1) whether we are talking about something known/specific (definite article: il, la) or something new/any (indefinite article: un, una); (2) the gender and number of the noun. Try to work it out yourself: why is it sometimes «il» and sometimes «la»? We will confirm the answer in the next sections: it depends on the gender of the noun (masculine/feminine).
- **il** libro — the book — specific, known (definite article, m.)
- **un** libro — a book — one of many (indefinite article, m.)
- **la** casa — the house / home (definite article, f.)
- **del** pane — some bread (partitive article)
2. Definite article (l’articolo determinativo)
We use it when we talk about something SPECIFIC, known from the context, unique of its kind (il sole — the sun) or a whole category (Mi piace il caffè — I like coffee in general). The form depends on gender (masculine/feminine), number (singular/plural) and the first letter of the next word. Look at the table and notice: «lo/gli» appears before s+consonant (lo studente), z, ps, gn, y; «l’» before a vowel (l’amico, l’acqua).
| Masculine (m.) | Feminine (f.) | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular — before a consonant | il (il libro) | la (la casa) |
| Singular — before a vowel | l’ (l’amico) | l’ (l’amica) |
| Liczba poj. — przed s+sp., z, ps, gn, y | lo (lo studente, lo zaino) | la (la stazione) |
| Plural — before a consonant | i (i libri) | le (le case) |
| Plural — before a vowel / s+consonant, z... | gli (gli amici, gli studenti) | le (le amiche) |
- **Il** sole è caldo oggi. — The sun is hot today.
- **Lo** zaino è sotto **il** tavolo. — The backpack is under the table. (lo before “z-”)
- **L’**Italia è bella e **gli** italiani sono simpatici. — Italy is beautiful and Italians are nice.
- **Le** chiavi sono sul tavolo. — The keys are on the table.
3. Indefinite article (l’articolo indeterminativo)
We use it when we introduce something NEW, unknown, «a/an, one of many» (Ho un cane — I have a dog, no matter which). In Italian it is almost always there when you mention something for the first time. It exists only in the singular. In the plural, its role is taken by the partitive article (dei, delle) or by the words «alcuni/qualche».
| Sytuacja fonetyczna | Masculine (m.) | Feminine (f.) |
|---|---|---|
| Before a consonant | un (un libro) | una (una casa) |
| Before a vowel | un (un amico) | un’ (un’amica) |
| Przed s+sp., z, ps, gn, y | uno (uno studente, uno zaino) | una (una studentessa) |
- Vorrei **un** caffè, per favore. — I’d like a coffee, please.
- C’è **una** finestra e **un** letto. — There is a window and a bed.
- Ho **un’**amica a Roma. — I have a friend (f.) in Rome. (un’ with an apostrophe: feminine before a vowel)
- Marco è **uno** studente bravo. — Marco is a good student.
4. Partitive article (l’articolo partitivo)
It is formed by joining the preposition «di» + the definite article (di + il = del, di + la = della, di + i = dei...). It expresses an indefinite QUANTITY — «some / a bit of» — especially with food and drink, and as the plural of the indefinite article. Examples: «bere dell’acqua» (to drink some water), «comprare del pane» (to buy some bread). The words used are del / della / dei / delle.
| Masculine (m.) | Feminine (f.) | |
|---|---|---|
| Liczba poj. | del (del pane), dell’ (dell’olio), dello (dello zucchero) | della (della pasta), dell’ (dell’acqua) |
| Plural (= «some») | dei (dei libri), degli (degli amici) | delle (delle mele) |
- Compro **del** pane e **della** frutta. — I’m buying some bread and some fruit.
- Vuoi **dell’**acqua? — Do you want some water?
- Ho **degli** amici a Napoli. — I have some friends in Naples. (dei/degli = plural of “un”)
- Metto **dello** zucchero nel caffè. — I put some sugar in my coffee.
5. Kiedy rodzajnika NIE ma?
The article is not always compulsory. An IMPORTANT rule: after «questo/questa» and «quello/quella» do NOT use an article. We say «questo libro», never «questo il libro». The article is also usually left out before people's names (Marco, Anna), with most city names (a Roma, a Cracovia) and in many fixed expressions (a casa, in classe). At A1 the key point is the contrast: questo/quello (no article) versus «il/la» (with an article).
- **Questo** libro è mio. — This book is mine. (after questo, NO article)
- **Quella** casa è grande. — That house is big. (after quella, NO article)
- Marco abita a Roma. — Marco lives in Rome. (name and city with no article)
- Vado a casa. — I’m going home. (set phrase, no article)