Possessive Adjectives

01

Forms of Possessive Adjectives

Each possessive adjective has four forms (masculine singular, feminine singular, masculine plural, feminine plural), except for loro (their), which is invariable.

• my: mio, mia, miei, mie
• your (informal singular): tuo, tua, tuoi, tue
• his / her / its / Your (formal): suo, sua, suoi, sue
• our: nostro, nostra, nostri, nostre
• your (plural): vostro, vostra, vostri, vostre
• their: loro (invariable)

02

Agreement with the Noun

The form of the possessive adjective is determined by the gender and number of the noun it modifies.

For a masculine singular noun like libro (book):

• il mio libro

  my book

• il suo libro

  his/her book

For a feminine singular noun like macchina (car):

• la mia macchina

  my car

• la sua macchina

  his/her car

For a masculine plural noun like libri (books):

• i miei libri

  my books

• i suoi libri

  his/her books

For a feminine plural noun like macchine (cars):

• le mie macchine

  my cars

• le sue macchine

  his/her cars

03

Use with Definite Articles

In most cases, a definite article (il, la, i, le, etc.) is required before the possessive adjective.

• Ho visto la tua amica.

  I saw your friend.

• I nostri biglietti sono sul tavolo.

  Our tickets are on the table.

• Dov'è il suo ufficio?

  Where is his/her office?

04

Exception: Singular Family Members

The definite article is omitted when referring to a single, unmodified family member. This applies to nouns like madre (mother), padre (father), fratello (brother), sorella (sister), figlio (son), figlia (daughter), marito (husband), moglie (wife), zio (uncle), and cugino (cousin).

• Mia madre è insegnante.

  My mother is a teacher.

• Tuo fratello vive a Roma.

  Your brother lives in Rome.

• Nostro nonno ha novant'anni.

  Our grandfather is ninety years old.

The article must be used, however, in the following situations:

1. With plural family members

• Le mie sorelle sono gemelle.

  My sisters are twins.

• I vostri cugini arrivano domani.

  Your cousins arrive tomorrow.

2. When the family noun is modified by an adjective or suffix

• La mia sorella minore si chiama Anna.

  My younger sister is named Anna.

• Il mio fratellino è molto simpatico.

  My little brother is very nice.

3. With the possessive loro

• Il loro padre lavora in banca.

  Their father works at a bank.

05

The Invariable 'Loro'

The possessive adjective loro (their) is unique because it never changes its form. The agreement with the noun is shown by the definite article and the noun ending. It also always requires the definite article, even with singular family members.

• il loro gatto

  their cat (masculine singular)

• la loro casa

  their house (feminine singular)

• i loro gatti

  their cats (masculine plural)

• le loro case

  their houses (feminine plural)

• La loro zia è francese.

  Their aunt is French.

06

Understanding 'Suo'

The forms suo, sua, suoi, and sue can mean his, her, its, or the formal Your. The context of the conversation determines the owner. The form of the word itself, however, only depends on the object being owned.

• Marco ama la sua fidanzata.

  Marco loves his fiancée. (context: Marco is male)

• Giulia ama il suo lavoro.

  Giulia loves her job. (context: Giulia is female)

• Signora, ha dimenticato la Sua borsa.

  Ma'am, you forgot Your bag. (context: formal address)

07

Possessive Adjectives vs. Possessive Pronouns

Possessive adjectives and pronouns have the same forms, but their function is different. An adjective modifies a noun that is present in the sentence. A pronoun replaces the noun entirely to avoid repetition.

Adjective: The noun is stated.

• Questa è la mia giacca.

  This is my jacket.

• I nostri posti sono in prima fila.

  Our seats are in the front row.

Pronoun: The noun is omitted and understood from context.

• Questa giacca non è la tua, è la mia.

  This jacket isn't yours, it's mine.

• I vostri posti sono laggiù, i nostri sono qui.

  Your seats are over there, ours are here.