nounarticlepronoun

la la

the · her

È un articolo determinativo usato davanti ai nomi femminili singolari per indicare qualcosa di specifico.

Definition & meaning

La has several common uses in Italian:

Feminine singular definite article — equivalent to “the,” used before a feminine singular noun that begins with a consonant: la casa (“the house”) or la notte (“the night”).
- casa
- notte
Feminine singular direct-object pronoun — usually means “her” or “it” when referring to a feminine noun. It generally comes before the verb: La vedo (“I see her/it”).
- vedere
Musical note — la is the sixth note in the Italian solfège scale. It also names the pitch A.

It is distinct from là , with an accent, which means “there.”

Grammar & Word origin

As an article, la agrees with a feminine singular noun. Before a vowel, it is commonly shortened to l’ , as in l’amica (“the female friend”).

amica

As a pronoun, la is unstressed and usually placed before a conjugated verb. It can also attach to an infinitive, as in vederla (“to see her/it”).

The article developed from the Latin feminine demonstrative illa. The musical name comes from the syllable used in solfège.

Synonyms & antonyms

There are no direct synonyms or antonyms for la as an article or pronoun; its meaning depends on the noun or sentence it accompanies.

Il is the masculine singular article corresponding to la, not a synonym or antonym. Lo is another masculine singular article, used in particular before certain consonant combinations and s followed by a consonant.