In Italian, the possessive adjectives come almost always before the noun which they refer to, and are almost always preceded by the definite article.
Let's see them in action:
| EXAMPLE | THE PRONOUN EXPLAINED |
|
Il mio cavallo è veloce |
Mio = first-person singular masculine pronoun. It agrees in gender and number (masculine, singular) with the noun (cavallo) and is in the first person because I am the possessor (first person singular). |
|
I tuoi castelli si trovano in Toscana |
Tuoi = second-person plural masculine pronoun. It agrees in gender and number (masculine, plural) with the noun (castelli) and is in the second person because I am the possessor (first person singular). |
|
La sua stanza è accogliente |
Sua = third-person singular feminine pronoun. It agrees in gender and number (feminine, singular) with the noun (stanza) and is in the third person because He / She is the possessor (third person singular). —> NOTE that unlike in the English language, in Italian you don't need to know the gender of the possessor here to pick the right pronoun. |
|
Le nostre giumente amano il fieno |
Nostre = first-person plural feminine pronoun. It agrees in gender and number (feminine, plural) with the noun (giumente) and is in the first person because We are the possessor (first person plural). |
|
Il vostro compagno di stanza ha il raffreddore (Your roommate has a cold) |
Vostro = second-person singular masculine pronoun. |
NOTE: that the third-person plural possessive adjective Loro has only one form for both masculine and feminine (singular and plural).
Examples
• Il loro cane è un Pastore tedesco / Their dog is a German Shepherd
• La loro stanza è molto spaziosa / Their room is very spacious
• I loro castelli si trovano in Francia / Their castles are located in France
• Le loro case sono vicine al fiume / Their houses are next to the river
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