gli
/ʎi/
gli is the masculine plural definite article in Italian.
The primary use of gli is as a masculine plural definite article meaning "the." However, in informal speech, gli can also function as a masculine indirect object pronoun.
Which one should you use?
Use gli instead of i when the following masculine plural noun begins with a vowel or specific complex consonants such as 's + consonant' or 'z'.
How does it change in a sentence?
In its role as a definite article, gli is used before masculine plural nouns that start with a vowel or the following consonant clusters: s + consonant, z, ps, gn or x. Informally, it may also be used as a masculine indirect object pronoun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ʎi/
Did you know?
- While gli is the plural article, it also acts as a pronoun meaning 'to him'. This creates sentences where gli appears twice with two completely different grammatical functions.
- The use of gli before 's + consonant' or 'z' is designed to prevent 'cacophony'. It avoids the jarring sound that would occur if the plural article i were placed directly before those specific consonant clusters.
- The word gli descends from the Latin 'illī', which was the masculine plural form of 'ille', meaning 'that one'.
Examples in context
- Gli ho dato i regali.I gave him the gifts.
- Gli alberi sono molto alti.The trees are very tall.
- Mi piacciono gli spaghetti al pomodoro.I like spaghetti with tomato sauce.
- Gli amici di Francesco sono simpatici.Francesco's friends are nice.
Example conversation
Giulia and Francesco are at a park.
- GiuliaGuarda gli uccelli nel cielo!Look at the birds in the sky!
- FrancescoSì, sono bellissimi.Yes, they are beautiful.
- GiuliaHai visto anche gli scoiattoli?Did you see the squirrels too?
- FrancescoNo, non li ho visti.No, I didn't see them.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry gli, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries gli, CC BY-SA 4.0.
