In English, the definite article is always the. In Italian, the form changes depending on:
- Gender (masculine or feminine)
- Number (singular or plural)
- The first letter of the noun or adjective
Masculine Articles
- Lo (plural gli) → before masculine nouns beginning with s + consonant, z, ps, gn
- Examples: lo zucchero, lo psicologo, lo gnocco, lo studente → gli zuccheri, gli psicologi, gli gnocchi, gli studenti
- Il (plural i) → before masculine nouns beginning with other consonants
- Examples: il pane, il telefono, il giornale → i pani, i telefoni, i giornali
- L’ (plural gli) → before masculine nouns beginning with a vowel
- Examples: l’albero, l’uomo, l’ospedale → gli alberi, gli uomini, gli ospedali
Feminine Articles
- La (plural le) → before feminine nouns beginning with a consonant
- Examples: la strada, la porta, la finestra → le strade, le porte, le finestre
- L’ (plural le) → before feminine nouns beginning with a vowel
- Examples: l’isola, l’amica, l’ora → le isole, le amiche, le ore
Definite Articles in Italian
| Gender / Number | Before a consonant | Before a vowel | Before s+consonant, z, ps, gn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | il → il telefono (the phone) | l’ → l’albero (the tree) | lo → lo studente (the student) |
| Masculine plural | i → i telefoni (the phones) | gli → gli alberi (the trees) | gli → gli studenti (the students) |
| Feminine singular | la → la porta (the door) | l’ → l’amica (the (female) friend) | — |
| Feminine plural | le → le porte (the doors) | le → le amiche (the (female) friends) | — |