Contents · A1
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The possessive adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun that follows it, the thing owned, not with the owner, and it is usually preceded by the definite article: la mia casa. Before a singular noun of family, the article is not used: mio padre.
The possessive: il mio, la mia#
Formation
The possessive is placed between the article and the noun; the article and the possessive both agree with the noun for the thing owned. The form of the article depends on the word that immediately follows it, here the possessive: l'amico, but il mio amico; gli occhiali, but i tuoi occhiali.
| masc. sing. | fem. sing. | masc. pl. | fem. pl. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| my | il mio | la mia | i miei | le mie |
| your (tu) | il tuo | la tua | i tuoi | le tue |
| his, her | il suo | la sua | i suoi | le sue |
Use
Il suo and la sua translate both “his” and “her”: only the gender of the noun owned counts, so la sua casa is “his house” or “her house”, and the context tells which. Ownership by a person named is expressed with di: la macchina di Paolo (“Paolo's car”). “Whose is…?” is Di chi è…?, and the answer repeats di: È di Paolo (“It's Paolo's”).
- Il mio telefono è nella borsa.My phone is in the bag.
- La tua giacca è sulla sedia.Your jacket is on the chair.
- I suoi genitori abitano a Bari.His parents live in Bari.
- Dove sono le mie scarpe?Where are my shoes?
- Di chi è questa borsa? — È di Marco.Whose bag is this? — It's Marco's.
Difference from English
Two habits of English lead astray here. First, “my house” has no article, but Italian requires one: la mia casa, il mio telefono, i miei amici. Second, “his” and “her” depend on the owner, while suo and sua agree with the thing owned: “her phone” is il suo telefono, masculine because telefono is, and “his jacket” is la sua giacca. Italian has no ending like “'s”: “Marco's bag” is la borsa di Marco.
Common mistakes
Mia casa è grande.→ La mia casa è grande.Before a noun that is not a noun of family, the possessive is preceded by the article.Anna cerca la sua telefono.→ Anna cerca il suo telefono.The possessive agrees with telefono, not with Anna.I mii libri.→ I miei libri.The plural of mio is miei.La sua fratello.→ Suo fratello.The possessive agrees with the noun owned; before a singular noun of family, it is used with no article.
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The possessive with family nouns: mio padre#
Formation
Before a singular noun of family, the possessive is used with no article: mio padre, mia madre, tuo fratello, tua sorella, suo marito, sua moglie. In the plural, the article is used: i miei fratelli, le mie cugine.
Use
With the affectionate words mamma and papà, both constructions are correct: mia mamma or la mia mamma. At A1 the rule applies to the common family nouns; a noun that is not a noun of family takes the article: il mio amico, but mio fratello.
- Mia sorella ha vent'anni.My sister is twenty.
- Tuo fratello abita ancora a Torino?Does your brother still live in Turin?
- I miei fratelli abitano a Milano.My brothers live in Milan.
Difference from English
This is the one case where the article is dropped, as in English: “my father” is mio padre. It is dropped only in the singular: “my brothers” is i miei fratelli. Suo and sua still agree with the relative, not with the owner: “her father” is suo padre, “his mother” sua madre.
Common mistakes
La mia madre è insegnante.→ Mia madre è insegnante.Before a singular noun of family, the possessive is used with no article.Laura abita con sua padre.→ Laura abita con suo padre.Padre is masculine: the possessive is suo, even for a woman's father.Mie sorelle.→ Le mie sorelle.In the plural, the article is used.
→ See also: The possessive with family nouns: mia zia, le mie cugine (A2)
In short
| Case | Construction | Example |
|---|---|---|
| ordinary noun | article + possessive + noun | la mia casa, i tuoi libri |
| singular noun of family | possessive + noun | mio padre, sua moglie |
| plural noun of family | article + possessive + noun | le mie sorelle |
| mamma, papà | with or without the article | mia mamma, la mia mamma |
| owner named | di + noun | la borsa di Sara |
| question | Di chi è…? Di chi sono…? | Di chi è? — È di Paolo. |
Practise
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