Italian partitive articles (dei, degli, delle, ...)
Exercises
- Exercise on Italian partitive articles - Fill in the blanks Score -/-
- Exercise on Italian singular partitive articles - Drag text Score -/-
- Exercise on Italian plural partitive articles - Fill in the blanks Score -/-
- Exercise on Italian partitive articles vs articulated prepositions - Multiple choice Score -/-
Lesson Outline
HideItalian partitive articles (some/any)
Partitive articles (Gli articoli partitivi) are formed by combining the preposition di (of) with a definite article.
They are usually followed by an indefinite name, and translate as "some" or "any" in English.
Italian partitive articles chart
| Masculine | Feminine | |
|---|---|---|
| Singular | Del (Di + Il) |
|
| Plural |
Dei (Di + I) Degli (Di + Gli) |
Delle (Di + Le) |
Usages of Italian partitive articles
Partitive articles are used to refer to an unspecified quantity, as in the following categories:
- food and drinks (meat, fish, coffee);
- materials (wood, glass, gold);
- substances (sand, powder, gas);
- abstract concepts (music, love, art).
| Italian | English |
|---|---|
| C'è del pesce in vendita al mercato. | There is some fish on sale at the market. |
| Vorrei dello zucchero, per favore. | I would like some sugar, please. |
| Giovanni sta avendo dei problemi con il suo lavoro. | Giovanni is having some problems with his job. |
| Oggi ho visto degli strani ragazzi in città. | I have seen some strange guys in town today. |
| Sto andando a tagliare della legna. | I am going to cut down some timber. |
| In questo ristorante fanno delle ottime pizze. | They make some great pizzas in this restaurant. |
Partititive articles vs articulated prepositions
Mistaking a partitive article for an articulated preposition is easy, so make sure to analize carefully the sentence and the context.
- Partitive articles generally specify an unknown quantity.
- Articulated prepositions generally add a new information about the subject.
| Partitive articles | Articulated preposition |
|---|---|
| Vorrei del gelato. (I would like some ice-cream.) | Il furgone del gelato. (The ice-cream truck) |
| I tuoi amici sono delle persone divertenti. (Your friends are interesting people) | Il nuovo sindaco è molto attento ai bisogni delle persone. (The new mayor really pays attention to the people's needs. |
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