Italian grammar · Beginner (A1)
Possessives: mio, tuo, suo…
How to say my, your, his, her, our and their in Italian, and when to use the article with them.
The forms
Possessives are words like “my” and “your”. In Italian they usually come with the article (, …) and they match the thing owned, not the owner. (their) never changes.
| English | Masc. singular | Fem. singular | Masc. plural | Fem. plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| my | ||||
| your (tu) | ||||
| his, her, your (Lei) | ||||
| our | ||||
| your (voi) | ||||
| their |
- Questa è la mia macchina.This is my car.
- Dove sono i tuoi occhiali?Where are your glasses?
- Il nostro albergo è in centro.Our hotel is in the centre.
His or her? Suo and sua
and can mean “his”, “her” or polite “your”. The ending matches the thing owned, not the person: (Marco and his car), (Anna and her phone). The context tells you whose it is.
- Paola è con suo fratello.Paola is with her brother.
- Luca ha perso la sua valigia.Luca has lost his suitcase.
- Signora, questo è il Suo passaporto?Madam, is this your passport?
Family members: no article
With one family member, drop the article: (my mother), (your father), (his or her brother).
Keep the article in the plural (), with (), and with forms like (little sister): . With and , both are common: or .
- Mia sorella abita a Genova.My sister lives in Genoa.
- I miei genitori sono in pensione.My parents are retired.
- Il loro figlio studia medicina.Their son is studying medicine.