The Partitive: Il partitivo

The partitive in English can be some, any, a few.

In Italian, there are a number of different options for expressing the partitive. The following is a list detailing the various options available to you.

1. You can combine the preposition di with a definite article to mean some. When using this partitive, you must follow the same rules you follow when using definite articles. Following is a chart demonstrating how di combines with each article.
   
   

   di + il	del
   di + la	della
   di +lo	dello
   di + l’	dell’
   di + gli	degli
   di + i	dei
   di + le	delle

   
   

   Ho mangiato delle mele e delle pere. I ate some apples and some pears. Ci sono degli studenti in aula. There are some students in the classroom. Conosco della gente straniera. I know some foreign people.

   
   
2. Some or a few can also be expressed with the word qualche, combined with a singular noun.

   Mi piacerebbe viaggiare con qualche amico. I would like to travel with some friends. Purtroppo c’è qualche problema. Unfortunately, there are some problems.

   
   
3. Alcuni / alcune also mean some, a few. These are always used with a plural noun.

   Avevo alcune idee. I had some ideas. Ho comprato alcuni chili di patate. I bought a few kilos of potatoes.

   
   
4. Un po’ di or un poco di is used to express some or a bit of with singular nouns. These can be used either abstractly or with countable items.

   Abbiamo bisogno di un po’ di latte. We need a bit of milk. Ha un po’ di tempo. He has a bit of time. Ci vuole un po’ di pazienza. You will need a bit of patience.

   
   
5. In addition to the partitive expressions listed above, there exist others as well. The most common of these include vari/varie (several), diversi/diverse (a number of), and parecchio (quite a few, a lot). Vari/varie and diversi/diverse are used with countable, plural nouns. Parecchio can be used with both plural and singular nouns.

   Prima di partire, abbiamo varie cose da completare. Before leaving, we have several things to complete. Diverse opinioni verranno espresse. A number of opinions will be expressed. C’erano parecchi bimbi alla festa. There were quite a few babies at the party. Ti aspetto da parecchio tempo! I’ve been waiting for you for quite some time!

   
   
6. In interrogative and negative sentences, the partitive is usually omitted in Italian, though it is used in English.

   C’è frutta fresca? Is there any fresh fruit? Avete tempo per parlare? Do you have any time to talk? Non compro mai zucchero. I never buy any sugar.