Definite & Indefinite Articles · Noun Gender & Plurals · Avere · Question Words · Numbers 21–100
CEFR Level A1Lesson 2 of ~8 at A1Warm up! Tap to reveal:
By the end of Lesson 2 you will be able to:
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 | 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 |
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!
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.
Nouns ending in -e can be masculine OR feminine — you must memorise their gender. Plural always ends in -i.
| Singular | 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. |
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
| Singular | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|
| l'uomo | gli uomini | man / men |
| la mano | le mani | hand(s) — fem. despite -o! |
| Singular (+ article) | 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) |
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) | 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. |
These seven words unlock almost any question you'll ever need in Italian. Memorise them all — you'll use every one every day.
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
Read these aloud. Notice how articles, nouns, avere, and question words work together in natural speech.
| Italian | 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) |
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 | 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 |
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).
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.
Fill in: il / lo / la / l' / i / gli / le
1. il 2. l' 3. lo 4. le
5. lo 6. gli 7. la 8. gli
Fill in: un / uno / una / un'
1. un 2. un' 3. uno 4. una
5. un (masc.!) 6. un' (fem. + vowel)
Change article + noun to plural:
1. i gatti
2. le ragazze
3. gli studenti
4. gli amici
5. i ristoranti
6. le città (invariable — same as singular!)
1. ho 2. hai 3. ha
4. abbiamo 5. avete 6. hanno
Choose the right verb and conjugate it:
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
1. Quanti 2. Dove 3. Quanto
4. Chi 5. Perché 6. Come
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?
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