Indefinite Articles — Italian Grammar

Indefinite articles correspond to "a" or "an" in English. They are used to introduce a singular, non-specific noun. The form of the article changes depending on the gender of the noun it precedes and, for masculine nouns, the first sound of the following word.

Masculine Indefinite Articles: 'un' and 'uno'

The choice between the two masculine articles, and , is determined by the sound of the word that comes next.

Use un before nouns that start with

Most consonants.
Any vowel.

Ho comprato un biglietto per il concerto.
I bought a ticket for the concert.
C'è un albero in giardino.
There is a tree in the garden.
Marco è un uomo gentile.
Marco is a kind man.

Use uno before nouns that start with

s + consonant (e.g., , , )

z

ps, gn, x, y, pn (less common sounds, often in words of foreign origin)

This form is used to make pronunciation easier by avoiding difficult sound combinations.

Luigi è uno studente di medicina.
Luigi is a medical student.
Ho bisogno di uno zaino nuovo.
I need a new backpack.
Mio nonno ha uno gnomo in giardino.
My grandfather has a gnome in the garden.

Feminine Indefinite Articles: 'una' and 'un''

For feminine nouns, the choice depends on whether the following word starts with a consonant or a vowel.

Use una before nouns that start with a consonant.

Vedo una macchina rossa.
I see a red car.
Questa è una domanda difficile.
This is a difficult question.

Use un' (with an apostrophe) before nouns that start with a vowel.

This form, called an elision, is the contraction of . The apostrophe indicates that the final "-a" has been dropped to create a smoother sound.

Vorrei un'aranciata, per favore.
I'd like an orange soda, please.
È un'ottima idea!
It's an excellent idea!

Note the difference between masculine and feminine before a vowel. The apostrophe is only used for feminine nouns.

Paolo è un amico.
Paolo is a (male) friend.
Sofia è un'amica.
Sofia is a (female) friend.

When to Use Indefinite Articles

Indefinite articles are used in several common situations.

To introduce a person or thing for the first time

When you first mention something, it is usually unknown to the listener, so you use an indefinite article. If you mention it again, you would use a definite article ("the").

Ho visto un film ieri sera.
I saw a movie last night.
C'è una pizzeria vicino a casa mia.
There is a pizzeria near my house.

To identify someone's profession or role

Mio fratello è un avvocato.
My brother is a lawyer.
Maria vuole diventare un'attrice.
Maria wants to become an actress.

To refer to one non-specific item from a group

Mi passi un bicchiere, per favore?
Can you pass me a glass, please? (any glass will do)
Devo comprare un regalo per Anna.
I have to buy a present for Anna. (I haven't decided which one yet)

In the course

Sentences from Lingora’s Italian course

116 of the course's 500 sentences use this, the first in lesson 2. A few of them, with the words “Indefinite Articles” is about in bold:

Questa è la mia amica Anna. È una studentessa.
This is my friend, Anna. She is a student.
Lesson 2
Sto comprando una banana e sei uova.
I am buying one banana and six eggs.
Lesson 43
Ho comprato una dozzina di uova e anche una barretta di cioccolato per te.
I bought a dozen eggs and a candy bar for you too.
Lesson 47

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