Possessive pronouns are words that indicate possession or ownership. In Italian, there are six possessive pronouns that correspond to the six personal pronouns: mio, tuo, suo, nostro, vostro, and loro. These pronouns change in gender and number to match the noun they are modifying. In this article, we will give an introduction to Italian possessive pronouns for each pronoun, with examples to illustrate their usage.
Mio / Mia / Miei / Mie (My)
Mio is the singular masculine form of “my,” while mia is the singular feminine form. Miei and mie are the plural masculine and feminine forms respectively. These pronouns are used to indicate that something belongs to the speaker.
For example:
Il mio gatto è nero. (My cat is black.)
La mia borsa è rossa. (My bag is red.)
I miei libri sono sulla scrivania. (My books are on the desk.)
Le mie amiche vengono stasera. (My friends are coming tonight.)
Tuo / Tua / Tuoi / Tue (Your – Singular Informal)
Tuo is the singular masculine form of “your,” while tua is the singular feminine form. Tuoi and tue are the plural masculine and feminine forms respectively. These pronouns are used to indicate that something belongs to the person being addressed informally.
For example:
Il tuo cellulare sta suonando. (Your phone is ringing.)
La tua macchina è nuova. (Your car is new.)
I tuoi vestiti sono in lavanderia. (Your clothes are in the laundry.)
Le tue scarpe sono grandi. (Your shoes are big.)
Suo / Sua / Suoi / Sue (His/Her/Its/Your – Singular Formal)
Suo is the singular masculine form of “his/her/its/your,” while sua is the singular feminine form. Suoi and sue are the plural masculine and feminine forms respectively. These pronouns are used to indicate that something belongs to the person being addressed formally, or to a third person.
For example:
Il signore ha dimenticato la sua valigia. (The gentleman forgot his suitcase.)
La signora ha comprato la sua casa in montagna. (The lady bought her house in the mountains.)
Il cane ha rotto il suo giocattolo. (The dog broke its toy.)
Il professore ha detto che il suo ufficio è al terzo piano. (The professor said that his office is on the third floor.)
Nostro / Nostra / Nostri / Nostre (Our)
Nostro is the singular masculine form of “our,” while nostra is the singular feminine form. Nostri and nostre are the plural masculine and feminine forms respectively. These pronouns are used to indicate that something belongs to the speaker and one or more other people.
For example:
Il nostro volo parte alle 10. (Our flight leaves at 10.)
La nostra casa è accogliente. (Our house is welcoming.)
I nostri amici vengono a trovarci questo weekend. (Our friends are coming to visit us this weekend.)
Le nostre vacanze sono state fantastiche. (Our holidays were fantastic.)
Vostro / Vostra / Vostri / Vostre (Your – Plural Informal)
Vostro is the singular masculine form of “your,” while vostra is the singular feminine form. Vostri and vostre are the plural masculine and feminine forms respectively. These pronouns are used to indicate that something belongs to the group of people being addressed informally.
For example:
Avete finito i vostri compiti? (Have you finished your homework?)
La vostra festa era molto divertente. (Your party was very fun.)
I vostri figli sono molto educati. (Your children are very well-behaved.)
Le vostre scarpe sono sporche. (Your shoes are dirty.)
Loro / Loro / Loro / Loro (Their/Your – Plural Formal)
Loro is the singular masculine form of “their/your,” while loro is the singular feminine form. Loro and loro are also the plural masculine and feminine forms. These pronouns are used to indicate that something belongs to the group of people being addressed formally, or to a third group of people.
For example:
I clienti hanno lasciato i loro bagagli in reception. (The customers left their luggage at the reception.)
Le insegnanti hanno portato i loro libri in classe. (The teachers brought their books to class.)
I lavoratori hanno perso i loro posti di lavoro. (The workers lost their jobs.)
I politici hanno discusso delle loro proposte. (The politicians discussed their proposals.)
Conclusion
Italian possessive pronouns are essential to express ownership and indicate who something belongs to. It is important to remember that they agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Mio/mia/miei/mie indicate that something belongs to the speaker, tuo/tua/tuoi/tue indicate that something belongs to the person being addressed informally, suo/sua/suoi/sue indicate that something belongs to the person being addressed formally or to a third person, nostro/nostra/nostri/nostre indicate that something belongs to the speaker and one or more other people, vostro/vostra/vostri/vostre indicate that something belongs to the group of people being addressed informally, and loro/loro/loro/loro indicate that something belongs to the group of people being addressed formally or to a third group of people. With practice and repetition, using possessive pronouns correctly will become second nature.
Originally posted 2023-07-17 13:58:26.