One of the grammatical difficulties that a native speaker of Russian faces when learning Italian is related to the presence of articles in it. In Russian there is no such functional part of speech; in English it is similar in meaning to Italian, but differs in grammatical features and norms of use.
What is an article
The article indicates whether we are talking about a specific object known to the speaker and listener or about an undistinguished part of some class of objects. In Russian, the meaning of the Italian definite article is conveyed in sentences of the model I bought this car, that is, not just any car, but her. The indefinite article, on the contrary, would emphasize the very fact of the purchase. Italian articles are combined with nouns and agree with them in gender and number.
Peculiarities of using the definite article
The Italian articolo determinativo (articolo determinativo - “definite article”) is used when talking about something obviously unique, including geographical names, or about an already mentioned subject. It has 4 forms:
- Maschile (maschile - “masculine”) in the singular - il tavolo (iltavolo - “table”). Before a combination of s with a consonant or before z it turns into lo: lo sbaglio (lo zbaglio - “mistake”), before a vowel - into l’: l’amico (lyamiko - “friend”).
- Feminine singolare (singolare - “singular”) - la casa (lyakaza - “house”, but the final a is truncated before the vowel and in writing is replaced by an apostrophe: l’aula (lyaula - “class”).
- Masculine plurale (plurale - “plural”) - i tavoli (itavoli - “tables”), before a vowel, z and s with a consonant - gli: gli studenti (listudenti - “students”). The last form is truncated before i: gl’insegnanti (linsegnanti - “teachers”).
- Femminile (femminile - “feminine gender”) in the plural - le case (lecase - “at home”), the vowel falls before e.
Indefinite article
articolo indeterminativo (articolo indeterminativo - “indefinite article”) also has 4 forms, but in the plural it is often omitted:
When the article is not needed
- masculine, singular - un tavolo (untavolo), before z, a combination of consonants starting with s, an additional vowel appears - uno studente (unostudente - “student”). Before a word starting with a vowel, the pronunciation does not change, but an apostrophe appears on the letter - un’amico (unamiko);
- feminine, singular - una parola (unaparola - “word”), but if the noun begins with a vowel - un’amica (unamica - “girlfriend”);
- masculine, plural - dei amici (dei amici - “friends”). Before z, vowels, combinations of s with consonant(s) it changes to degli: degli studenti (degli studenti - “students”);
- feminine, singular - delle parole (delle parole - “words”).
The norms for abbreviating the indefinite article before vowels have recently lost their rigidity; full versions are also found in journalism.
When the article is not needed
Italians generally do not use the indefinite article in the plural. Appeals, phraseological units in the broad sense of the word, signs and headings also do without articles. Articles cannot be combined with personal names and names of cities and streets, however, in colloquial forms it is permissible to add a definite article to female names: l’Anna (lyanna). In literary language, the exceptions to which the article is attached are the names of outstanding figures of art and literature. A pronoun or numeral before a noun also replaces the article: questa tavola (cuesta tavola - “this board”).
Articles and adjectives
In Italian, most often an adjective comes after the noun on which it depends, so you should literally translate, for example, the indefinite article, and not vice versa. However, some adjectives are sometimes placed before the noun. It is most convenient to memorize the most common of them in pairs: bello - brutto (bello - gross; “beautiful - ugly), buono - cattivo (buono - cattivo; “good - bad”), grande - piccolo (grande - piccolo; “big - small "). In this case, the indefinite article comes before the adjective: un piccolo tavolo (unpiccolo tavolo - “small table”), una grande casa (unagrande casa - “big house”). The rules for modifying the article apply, but you need to look at the sounds with which the adjective begins.
Combination of definite articles with prepositions
For ease of pronunciation, articles are often combined with other auxiliary parts of speech. This is reflected in the writing. This gives the Italian language a special smoothness and melody, but at the same time makes it difficult for foreigners to find and understand articles and prepositions. Such hybrid phenomena are called preposizioni articolate (preposition articolate - “jointed prepositions”). The prepositions a (a - “in”), da (yes - “from”), di (di - “from”), in (in - “in”), su (su - “on”), preposition are subject to mandatory changes con (kon - “with”) changes optionally.
If we formulate the rule in a general way, then i in prepositions changes to e, the remaining vowels are preserved, the main changes concern consonants. Let's look at them as an example of the preposition di:
- masculine, singular: di + il, lo, l’ = del (del), dello (dello), dell (dell);
- feminine, singular: di + la, l’ = della (della), dell’ (dell);
- masculine, plural: di + i, gli = dei (dei), degli (delii);
- feminine, plural: di + le = delle (delle).
So, for Russian-speaking students, Italian articles present difficulties. When learning and using them, you need to pay special attention to phonetic changes before some sounds and the formation of articulated prepositions.
This site is dedicated to self-learning Italian from scratch. We will try to make it the most interesting and useful for everyone who is interested in this beautiful language and, of course, Italy itself.Interesting about the Italian language.
History, facts, modernity.
Let's start with a few words about the modern status of the language; it is obvious that Italian is the official language in Italy, the Vatican (simultaneously with Latin), in San Marino, but also in Switzerland (in its Italian part, the canton of Ticino) and in Several districts in Croatia and Slovenia, where a large Italian-speaking population lives, Italian is also spoken by some of the residents on the island of Malta.
Italian dialects - will we understand each other?
In Italy itself, even today you can hear many dialects, sometimes it is enough to travel only a few tens of kilometers to encounter another of them.Moreover, dialects are often so different from each other that they can seem like completely different languages. If people from, for example, the northern and central Italian “outback” meet, they may not even be able to understand each other.
What is especially interesting is that some dialects, in addition to the oral form, also have a written form, such as the Neopolitan, Venetian, Milanese and Sicilian dialects.
The latter exists, accordingly, on the island of Sicily and is so different from other dialects that some researchers distinguish it as a separate Sardinian language.
However, in everyday communication and, especially, in large cities, you are unlikely to experience any inconvenience, because... Today, dialects are spoken mainly by older people in rural areas, while young people use the correct literary language, which unites all Italians, the language of radio and, of course, television.
It may be mentioned here that until the end of the Second World War, modern Italian was only a written language, used by the ruling class, scientists and in administrative institutions, and it was television that played a big role in the spread of the common Italian language among all inhabitants.
How it all began, origins
The history of the formation of modern Italian, as we all know it, is closely connected with the history of Italy and, of course, no less fascinating.Origins - in Ancient Rome, everything was in the Roman language, commonly known as Latin, which at that time was the official state language of the Roman Empire. Later, from Latin, in fact, the Italian language and many other European languages arose.
Therefore, knowing Latin, you can understand what a Spaniard is saying, plus or minus a Portuguese, and you can even understand part of the speech of an Englishman or a Frenchman.
In 476, the last Roman emperor, Romulus Augustulus, abdicated the throne after the capture of Rome by the German leader Odocar, this date is considered the end of the Great Roman Empire.
Some also call it the end of the “Roman language”, however, even today disputes still rage as to why exactly the Latin language lost its relevance, because of the capture of the Roman Empire by barbarians or was it a natural process and in what language? spoken towards the end of the Roman Empire.
According to one version, in ancient Rome by this time, along with Latin, the spoken language was already widespread, and it is from this popular language of Rome that the Italian that we know as Italian of the 16th century comes from, according to the second version, in connection with the invasion of the barbarians Latin mixed with various barbarian languages and dialects, and it is from this synthesis that the Italian language originates.
Birthday - first mention
The year 960 is considered the birthday of the Italian language. This date is associated with the first document where this “proto-vernacular language” is present - vulgare, these are court papers related to the land litigation of the Benedictine Abbey, witnesses used this particular version of the language so that the testimony would be understandable to as many people as possible, until this moment in all official papers we can only see Latin.And then there was a gradual spread in the ubiquitous life of the language vulgare, which translates as the people's language, which became the prototype of the modern Italian language.
However, the story does not end there, but only becomes more interesting and the next stage is associated with the Renaissance and with such well-known names as Dante Alighiere, F. Petrarch, G. Boccaccio and others.
to be continued...
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Italian language tutorial
I present a new separate section for all students of the Italian language - Italian language self-instruction manual for beginners.Making a blog into a full-fledged Italian tutorial is, of course, not easy, but I try to give the most convenient and logical sequence of interesting online lessons so that you can learn Italian on your own.
There will also be a section - an audio tutorial, where, as you might guess, there will be lessons with audio applications that can be downloaded or listened to directly on the site.
How to choose an Italian language tutorial, where to download it, or how to study it online, you will find information about this in my posts.
By the way, if anyone has ideas or suggestions on how best to organize such a tutorial on our Italian blog, be sure to write to me.
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In chapter "
The grammatical expression of the category of indeterminacy in Italian nouns is such an important service unit, which is in close connection with the nominative part of speech combined with it, as the indefinite article (un altro padre (second father), una scala (staircase), una tavola (board), un sonno (sleep), etc.).
The point is that articolo indeterminativo (indefinite article) is used when it is necessary to emphasize the ability of a definite noun to only indicate an object or person, without defining them. Thus, using articolo indeterminativo, the speaker indicates one of his own similar objects/subjects, without specifying or specifying it (for example: rosso come un(“any”, not a specific one) peperone (red as a lobster). —
Questo and un regalo bellissimo. (This is a great gift.) - specification is not given, what is meant is “a great gift in general.”
Ognuno deve saperlo come conficcare un chiodo con il martello. (Everyone should know how to hammer a nail.) - hammer any nail, not a specific one
Si è tolto un peso dallo stomaco. (A stone has been lifted from his soul) - a simple indication of a fact without specifying the subject.
Mi ha suggerito di leggere un libro. (He suggested that I read a book) - read “any book,” without specifying which one specifically. Let's compare - questo и il(clear specification) quarto libro dell’Eneide (This is the fourth book of the Aeneid).
It should be noted that the Italian indefinite article differs by gender, breaking up (this depends on the gender of the noun attached to the article) into masculine forms ( uno scopo (ottenere uno scopo) - goal (to achieve a goal); un bicchiere (versare un bicchiere di latte) - glass (pour a glass of milk), etc.) and female ( un' isola ( un' isola vulcanica) - island (volcanic island); una map( una carta geografica) - map (geographical map), etc.
|
Genus articolo indeterminativo |
Form articolo indeterminativo |
| male | un/uno |
| female | una/un' |
As a rule, the sound-letter form of the Italian articolo indeterminativo is determined by the generic characteristics of the nominative unit + its initial sound design. Let's summarize:
table. Articles in Italian (indefinite article) - basic forms
| Genus/form | Application | |
| Application procedure | Application examples | |
| Masculine | ||
| Un | In preposition to nominal units, starting with vowels/consonants (except: z-/gn-/ps-. and s+acc.) | un+ ratto (rat), un+ tetto (roof), un+ tabellone (scoreboard) |
| uno | In preposition to nominal units, starting with z-/gn-/ps-. and s+acc. | uno +straniero (foreigner), uno +scenografo (set designer), uno +scrittore (writer) |
| Feminine | ||
| una | In preposition to nominal units, starting with consonants | una +matita (pencil), una +bambinaia (nanny), una +bica (stack) |
| un' | In preposition to nominal units, starting with vowels | un’+opera (business), un’+esca (bait), un’+ area (area |
Thus, it is clear that the use of the truncated form (un’) is limited only to use with nominative units of the feminine domain (un’attrezzatura (snap), un’epoca (era), etc.). At the same time, recently in the Italian printed written literary language (magazines/newspapers, etc.) one can increasingly encounter cases of using the full form (una) even in conjunction with nouns (feminine) that begin with an unstressed vowel ( una edizione (cf.: un’edizione) - publication; una etichetta (cf.: attaccare un' etichetta - stick a label) - label, less often with -a ( una amica (cf.: un’amica) - girlfriend).
It will also be necessary to take into account the possibility of separating the nominative unit and articolo indeterminativo by definitions/adverbs, etc. In these cases, we will already observe the dependence of the used forms of the indefinite article on the initial lettering of not the nominative unit itself, but the word immediately located after the article. (uno+scrittore (writer) - un+famoso scrittore (famous writer); un'+o pera (business) - una+ nuova o pera (new business), etc.).
As a rule, the Italian indefinite article does not have a plural form. In view of this, to fix the gramme of uncertainty in the plural, either the zero (omitted) article is used here (un'edizione (edition) - edizioni (edition); uno gnomo (gnome) - gnomi (gnomes); un albero (tree) - alberi ( trees), or special forms are used (often called “partial forms” by grammarians - not to be confused with the partial article, as such!) -
|
Genus articolo indeterminativo |
Form articolo indeterminativo |
|||
| Singular | Plural | |||
|
un+ ratto (rat) un+ ago (needle) |
dei, degli (before the main word) |
dei +ratti (rats); degli +agi (needles) |
||
|
uno +straniero (foreigner) |
degli +stranieri (foreigners) |
|||
|
una +bambinaia (nanny) |
delle+ bambinaie (nannies) |
|||
|
un’+ opera (case, work) |
delle+ opere (deeds, works) |
|||
Here are a few examples:
Sono degli alberi da frutto. (These are fruit trees).
Dipingere (zero article) colori a olio. (Paint with oil paints).
Dei prezzi sono salati. (Prices are steep).
Dammi delle matite per gli occhi (Give me some eyeliner).
The corresponding words can also help convey the aspect of uncertainty in the plural - in preposition to a noun (qualche/alcuni/alcune) -
Alcuni giovani credono che... (Some young people think that...)
Datemi qualche libri. (Give me some books (several books)).
As for use directly indefinite article in Italian, this is primarily due to the cases:
1. assigning a person/object to a class-group of homogeneous objects
É un animale domestico. (This is a pet)
2. focusing on an object/subject as one of many similar things
Portami una picture d'aghi. (Bring me a pack of (one of) sewing needles).
3. an object/subject described for the first time in any specific situation -
Mangia un‘arancia. Questa arancia è matura. (He eats an orange. This orange is ripe).
4. presence of the definition in pre/postposition to the nominative unit
É un affare serio. (This is a serious matter).
Article- this is an auxiliary part of speech that expresses the category of definiteness or indeterminacy of the noun following it (the noun can be preceded by an adjective or pronoun).
In Italian: indefinite, definite and null.
Indefinite article - when the subject is “one of many.”
Definite article - when there is an appeal to a specific subject.
Zero article occurs in Italian and is used as a plural indefinite article*.
* the plural indefinite article does not have its own form, for such cases the partial article (l'articolo partitivo) is used, which is a form similar to “the preposition di + the corresponding definite article” (the topic of prepositions with articles is “Articulated prepositions / Le preposizioni articolate)
** the definite article “lo” has exactly the same meaning as “il” and is placed before: s+acc., ps-, z-, x-, y-, gh- (this form arose solely for ease of pronunciation)
The article is not used
in cases where there is already some other specification or in some special cases, set expressions, impersonal constructions. For example:
- the noun is preceded by a demonstrative, interrogative, indefinite pronoun or numeral:
Questo libro. - This book
Che libro? - What book?
Qualche libro. = Alcuni libri.* - Several books.
Due/tre/quattro…libri. - Two/three/four... books.
- before proper names, names of settlements (exceptions - historical names: La Spezia, L’Aquila):
Laura and Felice. - Laura is happy.
Mosca, Rome, San Pietroburgo.
- when a noun acts as a modifier:
di papà - father's/father's
a piedi - on foot (with legs)
a voce - orally, verbally (voice)
senza cuore - heartless (without a heart)
- when after a nominal predicate (verbs essere-to be, nominare-to appoint, diventare-to become, eleggere-to choose, etc.) there is a designation of profession, status, type of activity, content, impersonal attribute (in these cases the noun also has a “defining” character"):
Sono impiegata/studentessa. - I am an employee/student.
Sono impiegato/studente. - I am an employee/student.
L'hanno nominato direttore. - He was appointed director.
Il canestro and pieno di mele. - The basket is full of apples.
è notte, è sera, è pomeriggio - night, evening, noon
nel mese di ottobre - in the month of October
Oggi è lunedì. - Today is Monday.
- when listing, when designating a target characteristic or quantity:
c’è un po’ di tutto: libri, penne, quaderni... - there is a little bit of everything here: books, pens, notebooks...
la camera da pranzo - dining room (dining room)
un chillo di fragole - a kilogram of strawberries
andare in treno - travel by train
- often in negative and interrogative constructions:
Non ho tempo. - I have no time.
Vuole pomodori o cetrioli? - Would you like tomatoes or cucumbers?
né carne né pesce - neither fish nor meat (neither meat nor fish)
BUT(!) né l'uno né l'altro - neither one nor the other (in this meaning l'uno and l'altro are used only with the article, l'un l'altro - each other, l'imo con l'altro - together…)
- when contacting:
Signora, Lei conosce il russo? - Signora, do you know Russian?
Ragazzi, voi leggete poco. - Guys, you don’t read much.
— signs, announcements, clarification in the description:
"Pasticceria" - "Confectionery"
"Macelleria" - "Butcher shop"
"Panetteria" - "Bakery"
Storia della Sicilia (title) / La storia della Sicilia… (narration)
Cercarsi ragioniere. - Accountant required.
Roma, capitale italiana, è una città molto antica. - Rome, the Italian capital, is a very ancient city.
- in stable expressions, some proverbs:
аver(e) fretta - to hurry (to have a hurry)
аver(e) bisogno (di qc) - to need (something)
aver(e) sete - want to drink (have thirst)
aver(e) fame - want to eat, be hungry (have hunger)
aver(e) paura - to be afraid (to have fear, dread)
aver(e) ragione - to be right (to have rightness, reason)
aver(e) torto - to be wrong (to have guilt, mistake)
aver(e) sonno - to be sleepy (to have a dream (process))
far(e) piacere - to give pleasure (to please)
far(e) festa - to rest, not to work (BUT: fare una festa - to celebrate, fare La Pasqua - to celebrate Easter)
con piacere - with pleasure
con allegria - with fun (with joy)
con appetito - with appetite
con interesse - with interest
con rabbia - with rage
con gioia - with joy
con disprezzo - with contempt, haughtily
Altezza mezza belezza. - Height (tall) is half of beauty.
——————————————————————————————————————
Noun. Il sostantivo.
Most* nouns have the following endings: 
* in addition to “regular” ones, there are nouns that have special forms of endings.
Nouns in Italian are masculine and feminine. Some names of professions or status have a general form, the gender in such cases is demonstrated by the article, or is clear from the context. Nouns are inflected by number - singular and plural. The plural has its own forms for the masculine and feminine; for a mixed group, the masculine form is used. There are no cases in Italian; they are replaced by prepositions, articles and particles.
Conventionally, nouns can be divided into several groups:
✓ Most Italian nouns (about 75%) end in the masculine gender with -o (plural -i), in the feminine gender with -a (plural -e). Italian nouns ending in -e (plural -i) can be either masculine or feminine. 
✓ Unchangeable nouns. 
✓ Incorrect plural endings:
l’uomo - gli uomini (man, person / men, people)
il Dio - i dèi (God/gods)
il bue - i buoi (bull, buffalo / bulls, buffaloes)
il tempio - i templi (temple/temples)
l’ala - le ali, obsolete or poetic plural. - ale (wing/wings)
——————————————————————————————————————
——————————————————————————————————————
Useful words and expressions.
Dialogue (il dialogo).
Come stay? Come on? - How are you? How are you?
Come on? - lit. How's it going? How is it?
Va bene. - lit. It goes well. Fine.
Sto bene, grazie. E tu? - I'm fine thanks. And you?
Mi senti/vedi? - Can you hear/see me?
Ti sento/vedo bene. - I hear/see you well.
Poi ripetere, per favore? - Can you repeat it, please?
Può ripetere, per favore? - Can you repeat it, please?
Potresti ripeterlo più lentamente, per favore? - Could you repeat it more slowly, please?
Potrebbe ripetere più lentamente, per favore? - Could you repeat it more slowly, please?
Parla più piano, per favore. - Speak more slowly (lower), please.
Parli piano, per favore. - Speak more slowly (lower), please.
Non ho capito. Non capisco. - Didn't understand). I don't understand.
Capisci? - Understand?
Hai capito? - Understood?
Mi capisci? - Do you understand me?
Conosci? - You know?
Non lo so. Lo so. - I don’t know (this). I know (this).*
Non conosco... Conosco... - I don’t know/don’t know. I know / am familiar.
Come si dice...? - As the saying goes … ?
Che lavoro fai? - What do you do for a living? (lit. What work do you do?)
Che faccio di bello nella vita? - What good (beautiful) things do you do in life? (also about work)
Sono manager. - I am a manager.
Faccio l'operaio di fabrica. - I'm a factory worker.
Lavoro nel ufficio. - I work in an office.
Imparo l'italiano due mesi. - I have been studying (acquiring) Italian for 2 months.
Studio l'italiano tre mesi. - I've been learning Italian for 3 months.
Mi piace... - I like...
Mi piacciono... - I like...
Non mi piace... - I don't like...
Non mi piacciono… - I don’t like…
Vorrei...andare in Italy. - I would like... to go to Italy.
© Lara Leto (Ci Siciliano), 2016
© Italy and Italian language. Travel beautifully, learn easily, 2016
In Italian, the following types of articles are distinguished: definite, indefinite, partial. Today we will look at the definite article.
Definite article - L'articolo determinativo
The definite article is used when talking about a specific person or thing.
The choice of article depends not only on the gender and number of nouns, but also on the initial sounds of the noun.
Use of the definite article in Italian:
1. with nouns that have already been discussed:
Paola parla con un ragazzo. Il ragazzo studia al nostro istituto [Paola parla con un ragazzo. Il ragAzzo studio al nostro istUto] → Paula is talking to a guy. The guy studies at our institute.
2. When talking about a specific person:
Andiamo dal medico [Andiamo dal mediko] →Let's go to the doctor. We are talking about a specific doctor whom the one who says visits regularly.
3. Name of continents, states, regions, islands, rivers, lakes, seas and mountains:
La Sicilia → Sicily, Le Alpi → Alps, L’Italia → Italy, L’Europa → Europe, Il Mar Adriatico → Adriatic Sea.
4. The names of islands and mountains are feminine (with the exception of gli Urali - the Ural Mountains), the names of rivers, lakes, seas are masculine:
il Po [il by] →Po
il Volga [il volga] →Volga
il lago di Garda [il lago di Garda] →Lake Garda
5. General concept:
Amo i fiori [Amo and fOri] → I love flowers.
6. Species concept in relation to the generic concept
La rosa è un fiore [la rose e un fiore] → A rose is a flower.
7. In the case when a noun is preceded by a definition that specifies it:
E` lo studente che parla bene l'italiano [e lo studente che parla bene l'italiano] → This student who speaks Italian well.