In Italian there is only the feminine and masculine article.
The definite article (= l'articolo determinativo) is always used when it is clear who or what one is talking about. Thus, when speaking about a specific person or a specific thing (everything that is specific gets a definite article).

In general, the definite article is: before signore/signora (la signora Schmitt), but not when addressing (Ciao, signor Capri); before title names in connection with a proper name (il dottor Fox); before professional names in connection with the verb fare (Faccio la dentista); before languages (Il tedesco è difficile; parlo lo spagnolo); before country names (La Germania è grande) and before continents (L'Asia è grande) except for in + country name and in + via, viale, piazza + name (Sono in Italia); before time (Sono le due); before times of day at regularity (La domenica vado ballare); before body parts (Anna ha gli occhi marroni); before general statements (il vestito è rosso); before tutt-o/-a/-i/-e (dormo tutto il giorno); before loro (il loro fratello); before cosenames and diminutive forms (il mio fratellino); before diseases (Anna ha la febbre), etc.

Il is male and usually precedes nouns that begin with a consonant. consonants are the letters: B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, ß, T, V, W, X, Z.
The Italian article lo is also male and precedes nouns beginning with s + a consonant, with gn, pn, ps, x, y, z, or i (vowel) + a vowel.

If a noun begins with a vowel (A, E, I, O, U) or a silent H, the article l' is used. L' can be feminine as well as masculine.
However, if a noun begins with the vowel i + another vowel, l' is not used, but lo (masculine) or la (feminine).

La is feminine and comes before nouns that begin with a consonant. The feminine form of lo is also la and comes before nouns that begin with s + a consonant, with gn, pn, ps, x, y, z, or i (vowel) + a vowel.\
Whether a noun is feminine (feminine) or masculine (masculine) can often be determined by the endings.

!!Attention there are exceptions!!
Thus, nouns ending in -a in the singular are usually feminine and nouns ending in -o in the singular are usually masculine. If a noun ends in -e it can be feminine or masculine (e.g. la canzone or il cane).

il cane
il formaggio
il melone
il gelato
il francobollo
il secchio


lo psicologo
lo studente
lo spagnolo
lo yogurt
lo zucchero
lo zoo
lo xilofono


l'amica
l'amico
l'albergo
l'educazione
l'hobby
l'indiano
l'uomo
l'orologio


la vita
la bambina
la macchina
la piscina
la casa
la iena