Punto di partenza
In both English and Italian, possessives express
ownership or possession.
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In most cases, possessive adjectives precede the
nouns they modify. Note that the definite article usually
accompanies them.
la nostra famiglia
i tuoi cugini
il mio cane
our family
your cousins
my dog
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Like other adjectives in Italian, possessive adjectives
agree in gender and number with the nouns they
modify.
il mio pesce
la mia sorellastra
i miei parenti
my fish
my stepsister
my relatives
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Il suo, la sua, i suoi, and le sue can mean his or her,
depending on the context. Remember that the gender
and number of both the adjective and the article match
the gender and number of the object possessed, and not
of the possessor.
le sue zie
i suoi figli
il suo gatto
his/her aunts
his/her children
his/her cat
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Do not use the definite article with singular, unmodified
nouns denoting family members.
mio padre
vostra nonna
nostra figlia
my father
your grandmother
our daughter
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However, use the definite article if a noun referring to a
family member is plural or modified by an adjective or a
suffix, such as -astro/a, -igno/a, or -ino/a. Use the
definite article with affectionate terms such as mamma
and papà as well.
il mio suocero simpatico
la tua sorellina
la vostra mamma
my nice father-in-law
your little sister
your mom
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Loro is a special case. It is always accompanied by the
definite article, and it never changes form, regardless of
the gender and number of the noun it modifies.
i loro cugini
la loro zia
le loro sorelle
their cousins
their aunt
their sisters
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Use an indefinite article before the possessive adjective
to express of mine, of yours, of his/hers, of ours, and
of theirs.
un mio gatto
una sua zia
una nostra cugina
a cat of mine
an aunt of hers/his
a cousin of ours
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Possession with di
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English uses -’s after a noun or name to express
relationships or ownership. Italian uses di + [noun or
proper name].
Di chi è il cane?
È di mia madre.
È di Stefano.
Whose dog is it?
It’s my mother’s.
It’s Stefano’s.
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Provide the appropriate singular or plural form of each possessive.
il mio/la mia
il mio libro
1. ______
2. ______ compagne di classe
3. ______ quaderni
il nostro/la nostra
10. ______ professoressa
11. ______ cugino
12. ______ zie
il tuo/la tua
4. ______ cugini
5. ______ sorella
6. ______ pallone
il vostro/la vostra
13. ______ cane
14. ______ zii
15. ______ madre
il suo/la sua
7. ______ lettera
8. ______ sorelle
9. ______ cugini
il/la loro
16. ______ gatti
17. ______ fratello
18. ______ mogli
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