When do you use un, uno, una or un'?
The indefinite article goes before a noun that is new or not yet known: a, an. Italian has four forms for it. Two things decide which: the noun's gender (masculine or feminine) and the first sound of the word that follows.
The four forms at a glance
| Form | Gender | First sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| un | masculine | vowel or consonant (default) | un libro, un amico |
| uno | masculine | s + consonant, z, gn, ps | uno studente |
| una | feminine | consonant | una casa |
| un' | feminine | vowel | un'amica |
Masculine: un and uno
un is the default. uno is used only where un would be hard to pronounce: before s + consonant, z, gn and ps.
un libro
a book
un amico
a friend
uno studente
a student
uno zaino
a backpack
Feminine: una and un'
una is used before every consonant. Before a vowel the a drops out and an apostrophe takes its place: un'amica. Only the feminine un' has an apostrophe; the masculine un never does: un amico, but un'amica.
una casa
a house
una ragazza
a girl
un'amica
a (female) friend
un'idea
an idea
All the forms in sentences
Ho un fratello e una sorella.
I have a brother and a sister.
Ho uno zaino nuovo.
I have a new backpack.
Ho un'amica italiana.
I have an Italian friend.
