Possessive adjectives are generally omitted when referring to parts of the body or clothing belonging to the possessor / person performing the action.
| CORRECT | WRONG | MEANING |
|
Non mettere i piedi sul tavolo! |
Non mettere i tuoi piedi sul tavolo |
Don’t put your feet on the table |
Examples:
• Tendere le orecchie / Prick up one’s ears
• Chiudi gli occhi / Close your eyes
• Anna ha lasciato la borsa in ufficio / Anna let her bag in her office
• Aspetta che prendo la giacca / Wait a sec, I’ll get my jacket
I MIEI, I TUOI, I SUOI (MEET THE PARENTS)
In Italian you normally drop the noun genitori (parents) after the possessive adjective miei, tuoi, suoi.
Examples:
• I miei vorrebbero conoscerti / My parents would like to meet you
• Anna vive ancora dai suoi / Anna still lives at her parents’
• Ieri ho visto i tuoi in centro / Yesterday I saw your parents in the city centre
Want to learn Italian or other languages in a fun, interactive way? At LearnWithOliver, you’ll dive into audio flashcards, quizzes, writing challenges, and listening games. But that’s just the beginning: explore interactive stories, go on adventure games, chat with smart AI bots, and get instant feedback on your writing. Language learning has never been this exciting!
