Partitive articles in Italian — del, dello, della, dell', dei, degli, delle — are how you say "some" or "any" when you're talking about an unspecified quantity. They're built by combining the preposition di with the definite article, so they look identical to the articulated prepositions you may already know — but here they mean something different. Vorrei del pane (I'd like some bread), Compro della frutta (I'm buying some fruit), Ho dei libri italiani (I have some Italian books), Mangiamo degli spaghetti (We're eating some spaghetti). The form changes to match the gender, number, and starting letter of the noun, just like definite articles.
In the exercises below you'll choose the right partitive form for nouns of every type, distinguish partitive use (some, any) from the definite article (the, all of, in general), and practice the alternatives Italians use for the same idea — qualche + singular noun (qualche libro = some books) and alcuni/alcune + plural noun (alcuni libri). You'll also learn that in negative sentences and questions, Italians often drop the partitive entirely (Non ho pane — I don't have any bread, Hai amici a Roma? — Do you have friends in Rome?). Mastering the partitive sharpens your ability to talk about food, shopping, and quantities in a natural, native way.
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
10 questions
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
10 questions
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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The partitive article expresses an unspecified quantity, similar to English "some" or "any". It is formed with di + definite article: del, dello, della, dell’, dei, degli, delle. Example: "Ho comprato del pane e delle mele" (I bought some bread and some apples).
In negative sentences, the partitive is usually dropped: "Non ho pane" (I have no bread), not "Non ho del pane". It can also be replaced by "un po’ di" for a more informal feel: "un po’ di pane" (a bit of bread).
Both express "some". Dei/delle is more general and common, while alcuni/alcune emphasizes a few discrete items. "Ho visto dei film" (I saw some films) vs "Ho visto alcuni film interessanti" (I saw some [a few specific] interesting films).
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