Partitives in Italian can be a confusing topic to many English speakers.
To refer to an unidentified quantity of something in English, we often use words or phrases like “some,” “a few,” and “a little bit of.” These are called partitives. They refer to a part of something, whether it is countable, e.g., “some trees,” or uncountable, e.g., “some water.”
In Italian, the most common way to form partitives is using the preposition “di” followed by a definite article, also known as a partitive article. This would literally translate to “of the.” However, it serves more as an equivalent to the partitive “some” in English.
Countable Nouns
Because countable nouns have a plural form, we use the preposition “di” followed by the plural definite article “i” or “gli” for masculine and “le” for feminine. This results in the three following partitive articles:
| di + | gli | = | degli | Before a plural masculine noun that begins with a vowel, “z,” “gn,” “ps,” or “s” + consonant |
| i | = | dei | Before any other plural masculine noun | |
| le | = | delle | Before any plural feminine noun |
Examples
Let us take some examples of using partitives in Italian with countable nouns:
| un ragazzo | a boy | dei ragazzi | some boys |
| un albero | a tree | degli alberi | some trees |
| una casa | a house | delle case | some houses |
| un porto | a port | dei porti | some ports |
| uno zio | an uncle | degli zii | some uncles |
| una stanza | a room | delle stanze | some rooms |
| uno sbaglio | a mistake | degli sbagli | some mistakes |
| un libro | a book | dei libri | some books |
| uno schermo | a screen | degli schermi | some screens |
Remember that using partitive articles is not the only way to describe an undefined quantity of countable nouns. Other partitive words include “alcuni/-e” and “qualche,” both meaning “some.” The more specific partitive “certi/-e” (certain) can also be used depending on the context.
Let us take some examples:
| una casa | a house | alcune case | qualche casa | certe case | some houses |
| un porto | a port | alcuni porti | qualche porto | certi porti | some ports |
| uno zio | an uncle | alcuni zii | qualche zio | certi zii | some uncles |
Notice that “qualche” is invariable and always followed by a singular noun although the meaning is plural.
Uncountable Nouns
By countable nouns, we refer to nouns that are not often used in plural form, even if a plural form can be used in some contexts. For example, in English, we could say “three fruits” referring to three pieces of fruit. However, the word “fruit” is often used as an uncountable noun. Here, we discuss how to refer to an undefined quantity of such nouns when used in their uncountable form.
To refer to an uncountable noun using a partitive article, we treat it as a singular noun. Thus, we use the preposition “di” followed by the singular definite article “l’,” “il,” or “lo” for masculine and “l’” or “la” for feminine. This results in the three following partitive articles:
| di + | l’ | = | dell’ | Before a masculine or feminine uncountable noun that begins with a vowel |
| lo | = | dello | Before a masculine uncountable noun that begins with “z,” “gn,” “ps,” or “s” + consonant | |
| il | = | del | Before any other masculine uncountable noun | |
| la | = | della | Before any other feminine uncountable noun |
Examples
Let us take some examples of using partitives in Italian with uncountable nouns:
| l’acqua | the water | dell’acqua | some water |
| lo zucchero | the sugar | dello zucchero | some sugar |
| il pane | the bread | del pane | some bread |
| la pasta | the pasta | della pasta | some pasta |
| l’orzo | the barley | dell’orzo | some barley |
| il latte | the milk | del latte | some milk |
| la frutta | the fruit | della frutta | some fruit |
As an alternative to partitive articles use the partitive word “un po’ di” (a bit of) to refer to an undefined quantity of an uncountable noun.
Here are some examples:
| l’acqua | the water | un po’ d’acqua | a bit of water |
| lo zucchero | the sugar | un po’ di zucchero | a bit of sugar |
| il pane | the bread | un po’ di pane | a bit of bread |
| la pasta | the pasta | un po’ di pasta | a bit of pasta |
Remember that if an adjective precedes the noun, the definite article, and thus the partitive article, must change according to the beginning of the adjective. For example, “dell’orzo” (some barley) vs. “del nuovo orzo” (some new barley).
Dropping the Partitive Article
The partitive article is often dropped in the following cases:
1. When listing two or more items. The partitive article is often dropped rather than repeated before each item. For example, “Vorrei pane e zucchero” (I would like bread and sugar), “Abbiamo finito il riso, la pasta, la carne e l’acqua” (We ran out of rice, pasta, meat and water), etc.
2. After the preposition “di.” Some verbs in Italian require the preposition “di,” e.g., “avere bisogno di” (to need). In this case, an alternative partitive such as “alcuni/-e” can be used instead. For example, “Ho bisogno di alcuni libri da leggere sul tema” (I need some books to read on the subject).
3. In negative sentences. The partitive is omitted in negative sentences whether the noun is countable or uncountable. For example, “Non ho zii” (I don’t have uncles), “Non voglio zucchero” (I don’t want sugar), “Non c’è pane” (There isn’t bread), etc.
“nessuno” = “any”
In negative sentences with countable nouns, the negative meaning of “any,” as in “There isn’t any bread,” can be rendered by the use of “nessuno” and its variants. The word “nessuno” is treated like an indefinite article. It conveys the meaning of “not one” or “not any.” It is always followed by a singular noun even if the meaning is plural. Here are some examples:
| Non c’è nessun albero nel deserto. | There aren’t any trees in the desert. |
| Non ho nessuno zio. | I don’t have any uncles. |
| Non c’è nessuna casa in questa zona. | There aren’t any houses in this area. |
| Lei non ha nessun’amica. | She doesn’t have any friends. |
Remember, however, that “nessuno” cannot be used with uncountable nouns.
Next: Reflexive Pronouns & Verbs
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