Italian definite articles: il, lo, la, l’, i, gli, le

An article is a small word that goes before a noun. The definite article is the Italian for “the”. English has one form; Italian has seven: il, lo, l’, la, i, gli and le.

Three things decide which one you use. The first is the gender of the noun, masculine or feminine. The second is the number: singular for one, plural for more than one. The third is the sound at the start of the word right after the article. So «il libro» and «lo zaino» are both masculine singular, but «zaino» begins with z, and that changes the article.

Italian also uses the article more often than English, for example when you talk about things in general: «Il caffè italiano è forte» “Italian coffee is strong”.

Il, lo and l’: the masculine singular

«Il» is the normal masculine article. Use it before most consonants: «il tavolo», «il telefono», «il bagno».

«Lo» goes before a few sounds that would be awkward after «il». The main ones are s followed by another consonant (sp, st, sc and so on) and z: «lo specchio», «lo studente», «lo zio», «lo zaino». Lo is also used before gn, ps, x and y, which are rare at the start of a word: «lo gnocco», «lo psicologo», «lo yogurt». An s followed by a vowel is an ordinary consonant: «il sale» (salt), «il sabato», but «lo sport».

Before a vowel, lo drops its o and takes an apostrophe: «l’amico», «l’ufficio», «l’albergo». This is called elision: a vowel disappears before another vowel. A word that begins with a silent h counts as beginning with a vowel: «l’hotel».

• Lo zaino di Sara è sotto il tavolo. · Sara’s backpack is under the table.
• L’ufficio è al secondo piano. · The office is on the second floor.

La and l’: the feminine singular

The feminine singular is simpler. Use «la» before any consonant, including s + consonant and z: «la sedia», «la scuola», «la zia». Before a vowel, it becomes «l’»: «l’amica», «l’arancia», «l’isola».

Because «l’» is used for both genders, it does not tell you whether a noun is masculine or feminine. «L’amico» and «l’amica» are clear from their endings, but «l’ospedale» (masculine) and «l’estate» (summer, feminine) are not. Learn nouns like these with an adjective or with the word for “a”: «un ospedale», «un’estate».

• La scuola è vicino alla piazza. · The school is near the square.
• L’estate in Sicilia è molto calda. · Summer in Sicily is very hot.

I, gli and le: the plural

In the plural, each singular form has one partner. «Il» becomes «i»: «i libri», «i telefoni». «Lo» and masculine «l’» both become «gli»: «gli studenti», «gli zaini», «gli amici», «gli alberghi». «La» and feminine «l’» both become «le»: «le sedie», «le amiche», «le isole». In modern Italian, gli and le do not drop their vowel: write «gli amici» and «le amiche», with no apostrophe.

Remember that the article matches the sound of the word right after it, and that word is not always the noun. When an adjective or a possessive comes first, the article can change: «lo zaino» but «il nuovo zaino», «l’amica» but «la mia amica».

When Italian uses the article and English does not

Italian uses the definite article for things in general, where English uses none: «Amo la musica», «Mi piace il gelato» “I like ice cream”, «I gatti sono indipendenti» “Cats are independent”. It also goes before possessives («il mio libro») and before hair and eyes in descriptions («Ho gli occhi verdi»). A language takes it when it is the subject, «L’italiano è bello», but it is often dropped after «parlare» and «studiare»: «Parlo italiano».

Days work in a special way. «Il lunedì» means “on Mondays”, every week, while «lunedì» alone means “this Monday”.

Names follow a few basic rules. Countries and regions take the article: «l’Italia», «la Toscana», «gli Stati Uniti». After «in» it usually drops: «Abito in Italia». Cities take none: «Roma è grande», apart from a few that include it in their name, such as «L’Aquila». First names have no article in standard Italian: «Giulia è qui». In everyday speech in parts of northern and central Italy you will hear «la Giulia», but this is regional. Titles before a surname do take it: «il signor Rossi», «la dottoressa Neri». When you speak to the person directly, leave it out: «Buongiorno, signor Rossi».

• Il sabato andiamo al mercato. · On Saturdays we go to the market.
• Il signor Bianchi lavora in banca. · Mr Bianchi works in a bank.