What does it mean word for word?
These forms are known as preposizioni articolate (articulated prepositions), which means they are a single word created by merging a preposition and an article.
Which one should you use?
The form you use depends on the noun that follows it. Use del for masculine singular nouns starting with most consonants. If the masculine singular noun starts with s + consonant, z, ps or gn, use dello instead. For both masculine and feminine singular nouns starting with a vowel, use dell'. For feminine singular nouns starting with most consonants, use della. For masculine plural nouns starting with most consonants, use dei. For masculine plural nouns starting with a vowel or specific consonant clusters like s + consonant or z, use degli. For feminine plural nouns, use delle.
How does it change in a sentence?
The various forms of "of the" must change to match the gender (masculine or feminine) and the number (singular or plural) of the noun that follows.
Did you know?
- While del usually means 'of the', it is also the standard way to ask for some of a non-countable substance, similar to how English uses 'some'. For example, vorrei del pane translates to 'I would like some bread'.
- In some regional Italian dialects, the rules for choosing between del and dello are simplified or ignored entirely in spoken conversation.
- Italian uses different versions of 'of the' to manage the flow of sound, avoiding the clashing of vowels in words like dell'amica'.
Examples in context
- Ha paura del mare.He's afraid of the sea.This sentence is useful for showing how to use del with the masculine singular noun mare.Tatoeba #375266 by Pharamp, translation #294675 by CK
- Ha paura del cane.He is afraid of the dog.This sentence is useful for showing how to use del with the masculine singular noun cane.Tatoeba #377230 by Pharamp, translation #290760 by CH
- Ha paura del buio?Are you afraid of the dark?This sentence is useful for showing how to use del with the masculine singular noun buio.Tatoeba #954954 by Guybrush88, translation #953097 by CK
- Il libro di FrancescoThe book of Francesco
- I fiori dei giardiniThe flowers of the gardens
- La borsa della ragazzaThe bag of the girl
- Le case delle amicheThe houses of the friends
- 3289 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are discussing a missing item in the kitchen.
- ChiaraFrancesco, dove hai messo il tappo del vino?Francesco, where did you put the cork of the wine?
- FrancescoNon lo so, non vedo il tappo.I don't know, I don't see the cork.
- ChiaraÈ importante per chiudere la bottiglia.It is important to close the bottle.
- FrancescoLo cerco subito, Chiara.I'll look for it immediately, Chiara.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry del, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
