Editing Language/Italian/Grammar/Definite-Articles

== '''The definite article''' ==

'''The''' '''definite article''' is always used before a '''noun''', a '''noun phrase''' or a '''verb in the infinitive form used''' as a noun. 

In Italian the definite article alway matches with gender and number of the noun. 

Male singular          Male plural             Female singular      Female plural         

'''Il, lo                          I, gli                            la                          le'''

Male singular nouns which begin with a consonant take '''''il''''', its plural counterpart is '''''i''''':

S: ''il mare, il cavallo, il tempo, il principale, il giardino;''

P: ''i mari, i cavalli, i tempi, i principali, i giardini''.

Male singular nouns which begin with double consonant, s + consonant, x, y,z and i as half-consonant take '''''lo''''', its plural counterpart is '''''gli''''':

S: ''lo sconto, lo psicologo, lo gnu, lo zingaro, lo yeti, lo xenofobo, lo iato;''

P: ''gli sconti, gli psicologi, gli gnu, gli zingari, gli yeti, gli xenofobi, gli iati.''

Male singular nouns which begin with vowel take '''''lo'''''. Please note two vowel sound cannot stay together in the same phrase, so the definite article drops the ''-o'' ending and replaces it with an apostrophe.   

S: ''l’amico, l’albero, l’altare, l’informatore, l’uomo;''

P: ''gli amici, gli alberi, gli altari, gli informatori, gli uom'''ini'''''.

Please note that '''''gli''''' does not drop its vowel-ending, though it is allowed by literary usage, which to a native Italian will be seeming old-fashioned.

                  ''Gl’amici, gl’alberi, gl’uomini''…

Female nouns take '''''la''''' and '''''le''''' regardless to the sound which follows. Please note that '''''la''''' drops its vowel in favor of an apostrophe before a vowel-sound:

S: ''la casa, la madre, la città, '''l’a'''mica, '''l’e'''ntrata;''

P: ''le case, le madri, le città, le amiche, le entrate.''

'''The definite article is not used:'''
# Before proper nouns (''Mario,'' not ''il     Mario''), however this usage is commonly widespread in Northern Italy;
# Before nouns referring to close relatives,     usually followed by a proper noun as well (''mio figlio Giovanni'','' zia     Antonella'');
# Before city names (''Milano è inquinata'');     articles might be used when we refer to a particular timeline e.g. ''La     Milano di vent’anni fa'';
# Before months and days of the week;
# Before names of minor islands (e.g. ''Lipari'')     with the following exceptions: ''l’Elba'', ''la Maddalena'', ''il     Giglio'' but ''Capri, Ischia'';
# In negative sentences before unquantified amounts     of objects, e.g. ''Non voglio soldi'' but ''Dammi i soldi'';
# In fixed collocation and whenever the noun refers     to way, mean and instrument: eg. ''Ho sonno'', ''ha fame'', ''Lucia     fa amicizia'', ''vado in machina, scarpe da tennis'' not ''scarpe     del tennis'';
# In lists: ''Ho comprato: borse, scarpe, vestiti'';

'''The definite artice is used:'''
# Before family names in plural form: ''I Rossi     sono davvero gentili'';
# Before names of rivers, lakes, mounts, regions, countries,     seas, oceans, major islands (''La Sicilia'') unless they are not preceded by simple preposition ''in'';
# When distributive meaning is involved: ''Ti     chiamerò il giovedì'' – that means “every thursday”;
# Whenever we mean to stress on a relevant detail: ''Carlo,     il mio amico'' has a different meaning than ''Carlo è mio     amico''. In the first case Carlo is implied to be ''the best friend'',  in the second sentence he is just regarded as a friend as others.