Un, uno, una, un’

Use un before most consonants and before a vowel: un libro, un amico.
Use uno before s + consonant, z, gn, ps, pn, x and certain other initial sounds: uno studente, uno zaino. Learn unfamiliar words with their article.

The indefinite article often introduces a person or thing that the listener does not yet know. It usually corresponds to English a or an, not necessarily the number one. Italian chooses its form using both gender and the following sound.

Use una before a consonant: una casa. Before a vowel, use un’ with an apostrophe: un’amica. Masculine un has no apostrophe: un amico.

The form depends on the word immediately after the article, even if it is an adjective: uno studente, but un bravo studente. The indefinite article itself has no plural forms; ways to express some or several come in the quantity lesson.

Masculine: un / uno. Feminine: una / un’. Check the gender and the first sound of the following word. Un amico and un’amica are written differently.