Partitive articles are formed by combining 'di' with the appropriate definite article: | Article | di + | Partitive | Example | |---|---|---|---| | il | di + il | del | del pane (some bread) | | lo | di + lo | dello | dello zucchero (some sugar) | | la | di + la | della | della carne (some meat) | | l' | di + l' | dell' | dell'acqua (some water) | | i | di + i | dei | dei libri (some books) | | gli | di + gli | degli | degli amici (some friends) | | le | di + le | delle | delle mele (some apples) | The partitive changes to match the gender and number of the noun, just like definite articles do.
Use singular partitives with uncountable nouns (things you can't count individually): del (masculine singular, il-nouns): - del caffè (some coffee) - del pane (some bread) - del latte (some milk) - del vino (some wine) dello (masculine singular, lo-nouns — before s+consonant, z, gn, ps, x, y): - dello zucchero (some sugar) - dello yogurt (some yogurt) - dello spazio (some space) della (feminine singular, la-nouns): - della pasta (some pasta) - della carne (some meat) - della frutta (some fruit) - della birra (some beer) dell' (masculine or feminine singular, before vowel): - dell'acqua (some water — fem.) - dell'olio (some oil — masc.) - dell'insalata (some salad — fem.) - dell'uva (some grapes — fem.)
Use plural partitives with countable nouns when you mean 'some (of them)': dei (masculine plural, i-nouns): - dei libri (some books) - dei ragazzi (some guys) - dei pomodori (some tomatoes) - dei biscotti (some cookies) degli (masculine plural, gli-nouns — before vowels, s+consonant, z, gn): - degli amici (some friends) - degli studenti (some students) - degli zaini (some backpacks) - degli spinaci (some spinach) delle (feminine plural, le-nouns): - delle ragazze (some girls) - delle mele (some apples) - delle scarpe (some shoes) - delle idee (some ideas)
Partitive articles express: 1. An unspecified quantity (some): - Ho comprato del pane. (I bought some bread.) - Vuoi della pasta? (Do you want some pasta?) - Abbiamo degli amici a Roma. (We have some friends in Rome.) 2. In questions (any): - Hai del denaro? (Do you have any money?) - C'è dell'acqua? (Is there any water?) 3. With food and drink — very common: - Bevo del succo. (I drink some juice.) - Mangio della frutta. (I eat some fruit.) - Prendo dei biscotti. (I'll take some cookies.) Think of it as: 'I want bread' (in general) = Voglio il pane vs. 'I want some bread' = Voglio del pane.
The choice between partitive and definite article depends on what you mean: Definite article (il/la/i/le) = specific, known, or in general statements: - Amo il caffè. (I love coffee — in general.) - Il pane è sul tavolo. (The bread is on the table — specific bread.) - Mi piace la pizza. (I like pizza — in general.) Partitive article (del/della/dei/delle) = some, an unspecified amount: - Prendo del caffè. (I'll have some coffee — not all the coffee.) - Ho comprato del pane. (I bought some bread.) - Mangio della pizza. (I eat some pizza.) Key: Partitives talk about 'a portion' or 'some'. Definite articles talk about all/the/general category.
IMPORTANT: In negative sentences, Italian does NOT use the partitive article. Instead, use the noun alone (no article) or 'niente di + noun': Affirmative (uses partitive): - Ho del pane. (I have some bread.) - Compro dei pomodori. (I buy some tomatoes.) - Voglio della birra. (I want some beer.) Negative (NO partitive): - Non ho pane. (I don't have any bread.) ← no article! - Non compro pomodori. (I don't buy tomatoes.) - Non voglio birra. (I don't want any beer.) NOT correct: ✗ Non ho del pane. (This sounds unnatural in Italian.) This is a key difference from French, where 'de' is kept in negatives.
There are other ways to express 'some/a little' in Italian: 1. Un po' di (a little of) — common with uncountable nouns: - un po' di pane (a little bread) - un po' d'acqua (a little water) - un po' di sale (a little salt) 2. Qualche + singular noun (some, a few) — for countable nouns: - qualche libro (some books / a few books) - qualche amico (some friends) - qualche volta (sometimes / a few times) Note: qualche always takes a SINGULAR noun, even when the meaning is plural. 3. Alcuni/alcune + plural noun (some, several): - alcuni libri (some books) - alcune ragazze (some girls) All these alternatives are natural and frequently used in everyday Italian.
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Partitive 'del' – Masculine Singular
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Partitive 'della' – Feminine Singular
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Partitive 'dell'' – Before Vowels
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Partitive 'dello' – Special Masculine
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Partitive Articles with Drinks
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Recognising 'del' vs 'della'
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Choosing del or della – Food Items
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All Singular Partitive Forms
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Fill in: del, della, dell', dello
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Group 1 Review – All Singular Forms
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Plural Partitive 'dei' – Masculine Regular
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Plural Partitive 'degli' – Masculine Special
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Plural Partitive 'delle' – Feminine Plural
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Fill in: dei, degli, delle
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Plural Partitives – Mixed Practice
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All Six Forms – Fill in the Blank
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Choosing the Right Plural Form
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Plural Partitives in Food Sentences
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Plural vs Singular Partitive Choice
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Group 2 Review – Plural Partitives
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Partitive vs Definite Article
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Partitive in Context – 'Some' Quantity
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When to Use the Partitive – Context Practice
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Partitive with Uncountable Nouns
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Partitive with Countable Plural Nouns
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Partitive in Food Context Sentences
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Grocery Shopping – Partitive Practice
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Recipe Instructions – Partitive Articles
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Partitive vs Definite – Choose Correctly
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Group 3 Review – Partitive in Context
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Negation – No Partitive Article
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Negative Sentences – 'Non ho…'
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'Un po' di' – A Little Bit Of
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'Poco/a' vs Partitive Article
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'Qualche' as an Alternative to Partitive
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Negative Sentences – No Partitive
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Affirmative vs Negative – With or Without Partitive
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Dialogue at the Market – Affirmative and Negative
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Negation Practice – Identify the Error
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Group 4 Review – Negative and Quantity Expressions
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All Forms Review – Shopping Context
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Complex Food Sentences – All Forms
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At the Restaurant – Ordering Food
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At the Market – Shopping Dialogue
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Describing a Meal – Full Partitive Review
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Partitive in Questions
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Complete Dialogue – At a Café
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Reading Paragraph – Spot the Partitives
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Comprehensive Review 1 – All Partitive Rules
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Comprehensive Review 2 – Final Fill-in-the-Blank
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