Lesson 2: Articles, Nouns & Avere
Definite & Indefinite Articles · Noun Gender & Plurals · Avere · Question Words · Numbers 21–100
CEFR Level A1Lesson 2 of ~8 at A1Warm up! Tap to reveal:
Sono stanco.
Come stai?
sei
diciassette
Table of Contents
Learning Objectives
By the end of Lesson 2 you will be able to:
Definite Articles — "The"
English has one word for "the". Italian has seven, chosen by gender, number, and first letter of the noun that follows. There's a clear system — let's map it.
| Context | Masc. Sing. | Masc. Pl. | Fem. Sing. | Fem. Pl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Before most consonants | il | i | la | le |
| Before s+cons, z, gn, ps, x… | lo | gli | la | le |
| Before a vowel | l' | gli | l' | le |
| Italian👇 Click below 🔊 | Article | English | Why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| il libro | il | the book | masc., consonant L |
| lo studente | lo | the student (m) | masc., ST (s+consonant) |
| l'amico | l' | the friend (m) | masc., vowel A |
| la pizza | la | the pizza | fem., consonant P |
| l'amica | l' | the friend (f) | fem., vowel A |
| i libri | i | the books | masc. pl., consonant L |
| gli studenti | gli | the students | masc. pl., s+cons |
| gli amici | gli | the friends (m) | masc. pl., vowel |
| le case | le | the houses | fem. plural — always le |
Indefinite Articles — "A / An"
Good news: indefinite articles are only singular (there's no plural "a/an"). Just four forms to learn, and they mirror the definite article pattern!
un libro, un cane
uno studente, uno zaino
una pizza, una casa
un'amica, un'isola
✅ un amico (male friend — masc, no apostrophe) | ✅ un'amica (female friend — fem, apostrophe!)
Noun Gender & Plurals
Every Italian noun is masculine or feminine — even objects and abstract ideas. The ending usually tells you the gender and changes predictably in the plural.
il gatto → i gatti
il ragazzo → i ragazzi
la pizza → le pizze
la ragazza → le ragazze
Nouns ending in -e (can be either gender)
Nouns ending in -e can be masculine OR feminine — you must memorise their gender. Plural always ends in -i.
| Singular👇 Click below 🔊 | Plural | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|
| il ristorante | i ristoranti | restaurant(s) | masc. |
| il nome | i nomi | name(s) | masc. |
| la notte | le notti | night(s) | fem. |
| la stazione | le stazioni | station(s) | fem. |
Invariable nouns (accented final vowel — never change!)
Nouns ending in a stressed accented vowel are the same in singular and plural:
la città → le città | il caffè → i caffè | l'università → le università
Key irregular plurals
| Singular👇 Click below 🔊 | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| l'uomo | gli uomini | man / men |
| la mano | le mani | hand(s) — fem. despite -o! |
| Singular (+ article)👇 Click below 🔊 | Plural | Phonetic | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| il libro | i libri | LEE-broh | book(s) |
| la casa | le case | KAH-zah | house(s) |
| il ragazzo / la ragazza | i ragazzi / le ragazze | rah-GAH-tsoh | boy / girl |
| l'amico / l'amica | gli amici / le amiche | ah-MEE-koh | friend m/f |
| lo studente / la studentessa | gli studenti / le studentesse | stoo-DEN-teh | student m/f |
| il professore / la professoressa | i professori / le professoresse | pro-fes-SOH-reh | teacher m/f |
| il caffè | i caffè | kaf-FEH | coffee(s) |
| la città | le città | chit-TAH | city/cities |
| il cane / il gatto | i cani / i gatti | KAH-neh / GAT-toh | dog(s) / cat(s) |
| la scuola | le scuole | SKWOH-lah | school(s) |
| il ristorante | i ristoranti | ree-sto-RAN-teh | restaurant(s) |
| la macchina | le macchine | MAK-kee-nah | car(s) |
Grammar: Avere — To Have
Avere is the second most important verb in Italian. It's irregular — memorise it completely. You'll also use it to express age, hunger, thirst and more.
| Pronoun | Form | English | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| io | ho | I have | Ho un cane. |
| tu | hai | you have | Hai una sorella? |
| lui / lei / Lei | ha | he/she/you have | Ha vent'anni. |
| noi | abbiamo | we have | Abbiamo fame. |
| voi | avete | you all have | Avete tempo? |
| loro | hanno | they have | Hanno una macchina. |
Italian uses avere where English says "to be" — this surprises many learners!
| Italian (avere)👇 Click below 🔊 | Literal | English (to be) |
|---|---|---|
| Ho vent'anni. | I have twenty years. | I am twenty years old. |
| Ho fame. | I have hunger. | I am hungry. |
| Ho sete. | I have thirst. | I am thirsty. |
| Ho caldo / freddo. | I have heat / cold. | I am hot / cold. |
| Ho sonno. | I have sleep. | I am sleepy. |
| Ho paura. | I have fear. | I am afraid. |
| Ho fretta. | I have hurry. | I am in a hurry. |
| Ho ragione / torto. | I have reason / wrong. | I am right / wrong. |
Avere vs Essere
Question Words
These seven words unlock almost any question you'll ever need in Italian. Memorise them all — you'll use every one every day.
— Perché hai fame? — Perché non ho mangiato.
(Why are you hungry? — Because I haven't eaten.)
Numbers 21–100
Once you know the tens, the system is almost fully regular. The only trick: drop the final vowel of the tens before -uno and -otto.
Before uno (1) or otto (8), drop the final vowel of the ten:
venti + uno → ventuno | venti + otto → ventotto
trenta + uno → trentuno | quaranta + otto → quarantotto
Dialogues
Read these aloud. Notice how articles, nouns, avere, and question words work together in natural speech.
📖 New vocabulary from Scene 1
| Italian👇 Click below 🔊 | English |
|---|---|
| Cosa prende? | What will you have? (formal; prendere = to take) |
| un cornetto | a croissant (typical Italian breakfast pastry) |
| subito | right away, immediately |
| naturale / frizzante | still / sparkling (water) |
| in tutto | in total, altogether |
| il resto | the change (money) |
| Buona giornata! | Have a good day! (said when parting) |
Cultural Notes: Il Bar Italiano
The Italian bar is nothing like an English pub. It's the social heart of everyday life — open from early morning for espresso and cornetti, through lunch, and into the evening for aperitivo. Italians typically stand at the counter (al banco), drink their espresso in under two minutes, and leave. It's cheaper to stand than to sit at a table!
| Italian👇 Click below 🔊 | English | Note |
|---|---|---|
| un caffè | an espresso | "Coffee" in Italy = espresso by default |
| un cappuccino | a cappuccino | Breakfast only — Italians never drink it after 11am! |
| un caffè macchiato | espresso + drop of milk | Gentler than a straight espresso |
| un caffè americano | long / drip coffee | For those who find espresso too strong |
| un cornetto | Italian croissant | Often filled with cream, jam or chocolate |
| un aperitivo | an aperitif | Pre-dinner drink (Aperol Spritz, Negroni…) often with free snacks |
☕ The cappuccino rule — why it matters
Ordering a cappuccino after 11am or after a meal is one of the most recognisable tourist mistakes in Italy. Italians believe milk is heavy and interferes with digestion after food. They won't refuse to make one — but they will notice. After meals: always order un caffè (espresso).
💶 How to pay at a bar
At a traditional bar, pay first at the cassa (till), get your receipt (lo scontrino), then hand it to the barista. In tourist areas you usually pay at the end. When unsure, watch what others do.
Vorrei un caffè, per favore. — I'd like a coffee, please.
Quanto costa? — How much does it cost?
Il conto, per favore. — The bill, please.
Exercises & Practice
Fill in: il / lo / la / l' / i / gli / le
Show Answers
1. il 2. l' 3. lo 4. le
5. lo 6. gli 7. la 8. gli
Fill in: un / uno / una / un'
Show Answers
1. un 2. un' 3. uno 4. una
5. un (masc.!) 6. un' (fem. + vowel)
Change article + noun to plural:
Show Answers
1. i gatti
2. le ragazze
3. gli studenti
4. gli amici
5. i ristoranti
6. le città (invariable — same as singular!)
Show Answers
1. ho 2. hai 3. ha
4. abbiamo 5. avete 6. hanno
Choose the right verb and conjugate it:
Show Answers
1. è (essere — nationality)
2. ho (avere — age)
3. siamo (essere — location)
4. hai (avere — possession)
5. sono (essere — identity)
6. avete (avere — avere ragione)
Fill in: chi / cosa / dove / quando / perché / come / quanto / quanti
Show Answers
1. Quanti 2. Dove 3. Quanto
4. Chi 5. Perché 6. Come
Show Answers
1. Ho un cane e un gatto.
2. Ha trent'anni.
3. Abbiamo sete.
4. Hai un libro?
5. Gli studenti sono a scuola.
6. Quanto costa l'acqua?
Lesson Mind Map — Recap
Quick-Review Flashcards
Tap each card to reveal the answer. Works on all devices!
il / i
lo / gli
la / le
l'
un / uno
una / un'
Ho fame.
Quanti anni hai?
ho/hai/ha
abbiamo/avete/hanno
Dov'è?
-o → ? -a → ?
ventuno / ventotto
Quanto costa?
Ho ragione.
lo scontrino
Resources & Homework
- Add Lesson 2 vocabulary to Anki — especially articles with example nouns
- Memorise avere conjugation — quiz yourself 3× without looking
- Write 5 sentences using avere for states (hunger, age, cold, etc.)
- Practice making 10 nouns plural (pick any from today's list)
- Count from 21 to 100 — tens first, then fill in all the numbers
- Role-play the café scene aloud, playing both characters
- Italian has 7 definite articles (il, lo, la, l', i, gli, le) — chosen by gender, number, and the noun's first letter
- Use lo / gli before s+consonant, z, gn, ps, x; use l' before any vowel (both genders, singular only)
- The 4 indefinite articles — un, uno, una, un' — mirror the definite article pattern exactly
- Most masculine nouns: -o → plural -i; most feminine nouns: -a → plural -e
- Nouns ending in -e are either gender; their plural is always -i
- Nouns with an accented final vowel (città, caffè) are invariable — identical in singular and plural
- Avere: ho, hai, ha, abbiamo, avete, hanno — the H is always completely silent
- Italian uses avere (not essere) for age, hunger, thirst, cold/hot, fear, being right/wrong
- The 7 essential question words: chi, cosa, dove, quando, perché, come, quanto
- Numbers 21+: combine tens + units, and drop the tens' final vowel before -uno and -otto
- At an Italian bar: stand at the counter, pay first with lo scontrino, and no cappuccino after 11am!