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Grammar Lesson 2:

The Italian Definite Article (l'articolo determinativo)

The article precedes a noun in the sentence and is used to refer to it.

If the noun is specific then we're using the definite article - in Italian, l'articolo determinativo.
If the noun is generic then we're using the indefinite article - in Italian, l'articolo indeterminativo.

Note that in English the article is not affected by the gender of the noun, so it is invariable, whereas in Italian each article has both the masculine and feminine form, and it is used accordingly.

Let's now have a look at the articolo determinativo, to begin with.

MASCULINE (Singular)	use	FEMININE (Singular)	use
il	before all consonants [except for z, impure s (s+consonant), x, ps, gn]	la	before consonants
lo	before z, impure s (s+consonant), x, ps, gn]	l'	before vowels
l'	before vowels

MASCULINE (Plural)	use	FEMININE (Plural)	use
i	before all consonants [except for z, impure s (s+consonant), x, ps, gn]	le	before both consonants and vowels
gli	before vowels, z, impure s (s+consonant), x, ps, gn]	l'	before e (seldom)
gl'	before i (not mandatory)

Examples:

IL	LO	L'
• il cane / the dog • il martello / the hammer • il nonno / the grandfather • il tallone / the heel • il sonno / the sleep	• lo zaino / the rucksack • lo stagno / the pond • lo psicologo / the psychologist • lo gnomo / the gnome	• l'albero / the tree • l'elmo / the helmet • l'intrigo / the intrigue • l'olmo / the elm • l'universo / the universo

LA	L'
• la casa / the house • la selva / the forest • la maratona / the marathon • la tana / the warren • la neve / the snow	• l'alba / the dawn • l'erba / the grass • l'invidia / the envy • l'orca / the killer whale • l'urna / the urn

I	GLI	GL' (not mandatory nor common)
• i canti / the chants • i mantelli / the cloaks • i nomi / the names (or nouns) • i templi / the temples • i salici / the willows	• gli zii / the aunt and uncle • gli stipiti / the doorposts • gli psichiatri / the psychiatrists • gli gnocchi / the dumplings	• gli'idioti / the idiots

LE	L' (not mandatory nor common)
• le carezze / the caresses • le settimane / the weeks • le madri / the mothers • le terrazze / the terraces • le nonne / the grandmothers	• l'eliche / the screw propellers

HOW TO USE IT

The definite article is used to:

refer to something known	Ho letto l'articolo sul giornale (I've read the article in the newspaper)
indicate something of common knowledge and use	Ho comprato il pane (I've bought the bread) Scusa, ma non bevo il vino (Sorry but I don't drink wine)
express a whole category	il salmone risale la corrente (Salmon swims upstream)
refer to abstract nouns	l'arte / Art io credo che l'immaginazione ci salverà (I believe Imagination will save us)

Note that the definite article is not used before proper names (even if in colloquial conversations people still use it - it's an indication of familiarity, and of provenance, too), and before the name of a city.

Examples:

Cesare è simpatico (Cesare is nice)
Ho baciato Sara (I've kissed Sara)
Ho visitato Roma (I've been in Rome)

There are certain cities in which the article is considered as part of the name itself, though, and therefore present, such as:

• La Spezia (La Spezia)
• L'Aia (The Hague)
• Il Cairo (Cairo)
• La Valletta (Valletta)

Also, you have to use the article when the name of the city is followed by an attribute and by a complement that specifies to whom or of whom [complemento di specificazione].

Examples:

La Roma antica (Ancient Rome)
La Milano d'altri tempi (Old-fashioned Milan)

(There are other situations in which the article is dropped which will be covered in other grammar lessons)

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