italiano · A1 · grammar · 4 minutes
Definite and indefinite articles
Choose article allomorphs from gender, number, and the noun’s opening sound.
Understand the choice
Italian articles respond not only to gender and number but also to pronunciation. Learn lo studente/gli studenti, lo zaino/gli zaini, and l’amico/gli amici as sound patterns.
Core rule: Use il/i for most masculine nouns, lo/gli before s+consonant, z, gn, ps, x, y, and l’ before vowels; feminine uses la/le and l’ before a singular vowel.
Notice it in context
Lo studente legge un libro e l’amica apre uno zaino.
The student reads a book and the friend opens a backpack.
Lo appears before st-; l’ before vowel-initial amica; uno appears before z-.
Gli amici aspettano alla stazione.
The friends wait at the station.
Gli is masculine plural before a vowel.
La ragazza compra il pane e uno yogurt.
The girl buys bread and a yogurt.
La/il are ordinary patterns; uno appears before y.
What to remember
- Un, not uno, is used before most masculine nouns and vowels: un libro, un amico.
- Feminine una elides before a vowel: un’amica.
Common trap: Do not write un amica without the apostrophe. Feminine is un’amica.