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In English, the definite article is simple: the. Italian, however, has seven different forms of the definite article, and the correct choice depends on the gender and number of the noun as well as the first letter(s) of the word that follows.
Italian definite articles must agree with the noun in both gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural). Additionally, certain consonant clusters and vowels at the beginning of a word require special article forms for smooth pronunciation.
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine (standard) | il | i |
| Masculine (before s+consonant, z, gn, pn, ps, x, y) | lo | gli |
| Masculine (before a vowel) | l' | gli |
| Feminine (before a consonant) | la | le |
| Feminine (before a vowel) | l' | le |
Use il before masculine nouns starting with most consonants.
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