Italian Partitive Articles: Del, Dello, Della, Dei — How to Say 'Some'
English speakers often stumble over Italian partitive articles because English handles 'some' and 'any' differently. In Italian, when you want to say 'I want some bread' or 'Do you have any milk?', you use the partitive — a contraction of the preposition 'di' with the definite article. The form changes to agree with the gender and starting sound of the noun. Once you understand the system, it becomes entirely logical.
The partitive article is formed by combining 'di' with the definite article (il, lo, la, l', i, gli, le). Because di + il contracts to del, di + lo contracts to dello, and so on, you get a set of forms that express an unspecified quantity of something — a portion, an amount, 'some'.
All Partitive Article Forms
| Article | Used With | Example |
|---|---|---|
| del | masculine singular (il words) | del pane — some bread |
| dello | masculine singular (lo/s+consonant, z, gn, ps, x) | dello zucchero — some sugar |
| dell' | masculine/feminine singular before vowel | dell'acqua — some water, dell'olio — some oil |
| della | feminine singular (la words) | della pasta — some pasta |
| dei | masculine plural (i words) | dei libri — some books |
| degli | masculine plural (gli words) | degli studenti — some students |
| delle | feminine plural (le words) | delle mele — some apples |
Partitive Articles in Everyday Sentences
Voglio del caffè, per favore.
I'd like some coffee, please.
Hai dello zucchero?
Do you have any sugar?
Compriamo delle verdure al mercato.
We're buying some vegetables at the market.
Ho mangiato dei biscotti.
I ate some biscuits.
C'è dell'acqua in frigo?
Is there any water in the fridge?
Vuoi della frutta?
Would you like some fruit?
In negative sentences, the partitive is replaced by 'niente' (nothing) or — more commonly in everyday speech — simply omitted. Italian does not use the partitive after a negative verb. Compare: 'Bevo del vino' (I drink some wine) versus 'Non bevo vino' (I don't drink wine). Notice how the article disappears entirely after 'non'.
Partitive in Affirmative vs. Negative
| Affirmative (use partitive) | Negative (no article) |
|---|---|
| Ho del latte. | Non ho latte. |
| Mangio della carne. | Non mangio carne. |
| Vuoi dei biscotti? | Non voglio biscotti. |
| C'è dello zucchero. | Non c'è zucchero. |
The partitive is also optional in some contexts — particularly in lists and after expressions of quantity. You would typically omit it after 'un po' di' (a little), 'molto' (a lot of), 'tanto' (so much), 'poco' (little), 'troppo' (too much), and similar quantity words, which already express the idea of an amount.
After quantity expressions (un po' di, molto, poco, troppo, tanto, abbastanza, parecchio), use just the plain noun without any article: 'un po' di acqua' (a bit of water), 'molto zucchero' (a lot of sugar). Also skip the partitive in lists and after negatives.
Partitives vs. indefinite expressions
Compro del pane. — I'm buying some bread.
Vuoi un po' di pane? — Would you like a little bread?
Hai comprato molto pane! — You bought a lot of bread!
Non c'è più pane. — There's no more bread.
Partitives in a shopping context
Vorrei del prosciutto crudo e della mozzarella.
I'd like some Parma ham and some mozzarella.
Avete delle melanzane fresche?
Do you have any fresh aubergines?
Mi dà anche degli spinaci? — Certo, quanto ne vuole?
Can you also give me some spinach? — Of course, how much would you like?
Non prendo carne oggi, solo del pesce.
I'm not getting meat today, just some fish.
The pronoun 'ne' often replaces a partitive construction: 'Vuoi del pane? — Sì, ne voglio un po'.' (Would you like some bread? — Yes, I'd like a little.) 'Ne' replaces the partitive phrase (del pane) and means 'of it/some of it'. This is a very natural, very Italian construction that makes conversation flow better.
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