What is an Articolo Partitivo?

An "articolo partitivo" is a word used to indicate an indefinite quantity or part of something. This can be translated as "some", "a few", or "a number of" in English. It is often used to talk about things that cannot be precisely counted or whose quantity is not exactly known.

An example is the word 'delle', which is a contraction of 'di' and 'le'. This is a common pattern in Italian and also appears in other combinations of "di" with articles, such as:

• di + il = del (masculine singular)
• di + lo = dello (masculine singular for words beginning with s+consonant or z)
• di + la = della (feminine singular)
• di + i = dei (masculine plural)
• di + gli = degli (masculine plural for words beginning with s+consonant or z)
• di + le = delle (feminine plural)

Example Sentence

Let's analyze the sentence "Avete delle opzioni vegetariane?".

• Avete means "Do you have".
• Delle means "some" or "a few".
• Opzioni vegetariane means "vegetarian options".

So the sentence means: "Do you have some vegetarian options?" or "Do you have a few vegetarian options?".

More Examples

Here are some more examples of the use of "delle":

1. Ho comprato delle mele.

   • Translation: I bought some apples.
   • "Delle mele" means "some apples" or "a few apples".

2. Vorrei delle informazioni.

   • Translation: I would like some information.
   • "Delle informazioni" means "some information" or "a few pieces of information".

3. Ci sono delle nuvole nel cielo.

   • Translation: There are some clouds in the sky.
   • "Delle nuvole" means "some clouds" or "a few clouds".