Use of the definite article
Nouns
1. Examples
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1.1 Voglio il libro di Calvino. Conosco i figli di Maria. |
1.1 I want the Calvino's book. I know Maria's children. |
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1.2 Voglio un libro di Calvino. Conosco un figlio di Maria. |
1.2 I want a book by Calvino. I know one of Maria’s sons. |
1.1 In the first sentence the definite article is used to identify a person or a thing known by the speaker and the listener.
1.2
In
the second sentence we are asking for any book by Calvino or we
state that we know a son of Maria.
2. Example
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2.1 Voglio parlare con il direttore |
2.1 I like to talk to the manager |
2.1. In this case the definite article is used to identify
one specific person, the only one in a given situation.
3. Examples
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3.1 I pipistrelli sono mammiferi. |
3.1 Bats are mammals. |
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3.2 Mi piacciono le poesie di Ungaretti. |
3.1 I like The poems of Ungaretti. |
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3.3 L’oro è un metallo pregiato. |
3.3 Gold is a precious metal. |
3.1 Unlike in English in Italian the definite article is used in front of plural nouns indicating an entire species or a
3.2 category.
3.3 Unlike in English the definite article is
used in front of nouns of minerals, and in a general sense (men and women when
meaning mankind).
4. Example
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4.1 Vengo dall’Italia. Conosco bene la Francia. |
4.1 I come from Italy. I know France very well. |
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4.2 Vado in Germania. |
4.2 I am going to Germany. |
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4.3 Nell’Italia meridionale ci sono molti antichi templi greci. |
4.3 In Southern Italy there are many Greek temples. |
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4.4 Il Tevere passa per Roma. |
4.4 The Tiber goes through Rome |
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4.5 Parliamo della Roma imperiale. |
4.5 We talk of imperial Rome. |
4.1 In Italian, unlike in English, the definite article is used in front of a name of a country.
4.2 Like in English, the definite article is not used in front of the name of a country when preceded by the preposition “in”. (2)
4.3 The definite article is used, even with the preposition “in”, if the country name is modified by an adjective or is part of the name itself, for example " negli Stati Uniti" (in The United States).
4.4 The definite article is also used in front of geographical names of rivers, mountains and lakes;
4.4 it is not used with names of cities;
4.5 it is used, if the name of the city is modified by an
adjective (5) or if the article is part of the name (L’avana, Il Cairo, La Paz
ecc). In this case should be capitalized. (5)
5. Examples
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5.1 Angela fa l’avvocato. Carlo fa l’insegnante. |
5.1 Angela is a lawyer, Carlo is a teacher. |
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5.2 Ludovico è programmatore. |
5.2 Ludovico is a programmer. |
5.1 The definite article is used in front of the names of professions; but
5.2. it is not used when the profession is
introduced by the verb "to be".
6 . Example
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6.1 Per favore compra il pane, la pasta, il formaggio e i pomodori. |
6.1 Please buy bread, pasta, cheese and tomatoes. |
6.1 In Italian the article is used in front of all
the names of a series.
7. Examples
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7.1 Ecco la dottoressa Rossi e il signor Bianchi. |
7.1 Here are MD Rossi and Mr. Bianchi. |
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7.2 Signor Martini, tocca a Lei. |
7.2 Mr. Martini is your turn. |
7.1 The article is used in front of professional titles or courtesy forms.
7.2
It is not used when we talk directly to a person.
The date
8. Examples
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8.1
Oggi è il trenta. |
8.1 Today is the thirtieth. |
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8.2
Domani è il primo. |
8.2 Tomorrows is the first. |
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8.3
Siamo nel 2000 |
8.3 We are in the year 2000. |
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8.4 Il lunedì vado in piscina. |
8.4 On Mondays (i.e. every Monday) I go swimming. |
| 8.5 Lunedì vado in palestra | 8.5 (This) Monday I go to the gym. |
8.1 In
Italian the date is expressed by having the cardinal number
preceded by the masculine form of the definite article;
8.2 The
first day of the month, where an ordinal number is used, is an exception.
8.3
Unlike in English in Italian the
definite article is used in front of the year.
8.4 In
Italian the definite article is used in front of the name of the day to indicate
a recurrent action.
8.5 The name of the day without the article indicates the coming day.
The time
9. Example
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9.1
Sono le due. |
9.1 It is two o' clock. |
9.1 Unlike in English in Italian
time is expressed with the definite article, in the feminine plural
form, in front of the cardinal number.
Percentages
10. Example
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10.1 Il 3% della popolazione possiede il 50% del reddito. |
10.1 3% of the population owns 50% of income. |
10.1
Percentages are expressed by cardinal numbers, the symbol % and the
masculine form of the definite article.
Weights and measurements
11. Example
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11.1
L'insalata costa 8 euro lire al chilo. |
11.1 Salad costs 8 euro per pound. |
11.1 Unlike
in English in Italian the definite
article is used in front of weights and measurements
12. Example
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12.1
La scuola elementare va dalla prima, alla quinta. |
12.1 Primary school goes from first to fifth grade. |
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