Punto di partenza In both English and Italian, possessives express ownership or possession. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 3A.1-1 © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 3A.1-2 • 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 © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 3A.1-3 • 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 © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 3A.1-4 • 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 © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 3A.1-5 • 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 © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 3A.1-6 • 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 © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 3A.1-7 • 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 © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 3A.1-8 • 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 © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 3A.1-9 Possession with di • 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. © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 3A.1-10 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 © and ® 2011 Vista Higher Learning, Inc. 3A.1-11