il sg<il, lo, la, mn. i, gli, le, in the masculine, il is used before a consonant sound, except before s followed by a consonant, and before gn, pn, ps, x and z; lo is used before a vowel sound - in the form l' -, before s followed by a consonant, and before gn, pn, ps, x and z; la is used in the feminine, but the form l' is used before a vowel>: