How to use possessive adjectives in Italian

Possessive adjectives play a vital role in Italian. These helpful words modify nouns by indicating possession or ownership — in other words, what’s ours, yours or someone else’s. You can use them to clarify which items belong to whom, but you can also use them to modify abstract concepts, such as important bonds with other people.

In English, possessive nouns remain the same regardless of the noun they’re modifying. But in Italian, possessive adjectives must match the gender and number of the noun they modify.

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What are Italian possessive adjectives?

Possessive adjectives are words used to indicate ownership or association. This is a group that includes “my,” “your” and “their” in English. Italian possessive adjectives are not quite so fixed; in fact, they change form depending on whether the noun is masculine or feminine and singular or plural. 

This behavior adheres to a consistent rule in Italian grammar, in which agreement between parts of speech is crucial.

The complete list of possessive adjectives in Italian

English	Masculine singular	Masculine plural	Feminine singular	Feminine plural
my	il mio	i miei	la mia	le mie
your	il tuo	i tuoi	la tua	le tue
his/her/its	il suo	i suoi	la sua	le sue
your	il nostro	i nostri	la nostra	le nostre
our	il vostro	i vostri	la vostra	le vostre
their	il loro	i loro	la loro	le loro

Key rules for using Italian possessive adjectives 

Gender and number agreement 

In Italian, a possessive adjective must agree with the noun it describes, not the possessor. For example:

• Questo è il mio libro. (This is my book.) Here, mio is masculine because it agrees with libro (book), not with the speaker’s gender.
• Questi sono i miei libri. (These are my books.) Here, the adjective and article once again agree with the noun, which is masculine and plural.

The role of articles

Possessive adjectives require a preceding article (il, la, i, le) that matches the noun and adjective in gender and number. This is a specific feature of Italian that sets it apart from English and even other Romance languages.

• Zio, qual’è la tua casa? (Uncle, which one is your house?)
• Quelli sono i nostri amici. (Those are our friends.)
• Amo il mio libro. (I love my book.)

Special case with ‘loro’

As you might have noticed, loro doesn’t change regardless of the gender and the number of the noun it refers to. Keep in mind, though, that it still requires the presence of an article that agrees with the noun in gender and number.

• I loro mariti (Their husbands)
• La loro casa (Their house)
• Le loro regine (Their queens)

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What’s the difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns?

What are Italian possessive adjectives?

Possessive adjectives are words that indicate ownership or association and precede the noun they modify. They must agree in gender and number with the noun, not with the person who is the owner or possessor. Generally speaking, possessive adjectives are always preceded by a definite article.

What are Italian possessive pronouns?

Possessive pronouns replace nouns to indicate possession. Examples in English include “mine”, “yours” and “theirs.” These pronouns can be used alone, as replacements for nouns, and they often help to avoid tedious repetition in speech. In Italian, they are always preceded by a definite article.

• Questa è la mia, quella è la tua. (This one is mine, that one is yours.)
• I tuoi libri sono qui; i miei sono sul tavolo. (Your books are here; mine are on the table.)

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Forgetting gender and number agreement

Learners often match the possessive adjective with the owner instead of the noun. Remember to always check the noun’s gender and number before deciding on the correct possessive adjective.

Omitting the definite article

It’s easy to forget the article since English doesn’t require it (e.g. saying “mio cane” instead of “il mio cane”). But remember that possessive adjectives almost always require a definite article,  so try to mentally pair the possessives with their articles as you practice.

The family exception

When referring to singular family members in Italian (madre, fratello, figlia) the definite article is omitted.

• Questa è mia madre. (This is my mother.)
• È tuo fratello? (Is he your brother?)
• Quella è sua figlia. (That’s his daughter.)
  

Only when qualifiers or adjectives are added does the article come back in. For example:

• Questa è la mia cara madre. (This is my dear mother.)
• ll tuo bel fratello. (Your handsome brother.)
• Quella è la sua talentuosa figlia. (That’s his talented daughter.)

FAQs

When should I use ‘mio’ and ‘il mio’?

Use mio with family members in the singular form when no other adjectives are involved. For example, you would say mio padre to refer to “my father.” Use il mio in every other case, such as il mio libro (my book), il mio amico (my friend) and il mio meraviglioso padre (my amazing father).

When should I use ‘vostro’ vs ‘tuo’?

Use tuo when speaking to one person. For example, when speaking to a friend you would use the form il tuo libro to refer to “your book.” Use vostro when speaking to multiple people. For example: il vostro libro signifies that “your book” belongs to a group of people.

What’s the difference between ‘tuo’ and ‘suo’?

Tuo means “yours” in singular form, whereas suo means “his” or “her.” Suo can also mean “yours” in singular form when speaking in a formal context.

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The knowledge is all yours. Now it’s time to practice! 

We’ve covered all you need to know about possessive adjectives in Italian. We’ve seen why they’re useful, why it’s important to remember that nouns and adjectives agree in gender and number, and why they require a definite article in most cases.

Ready to practice? With Lingoda’s personalized learning options, you can dive deeper into Italian grammar and build a solid base that will give you more confidence in speaking. Book your class today and start learning Italian now!

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