Imagine you are strolling through the picturesque streets of Florence, looking up in awe at the magnificent buildings around you, and suddenly, a friendly local approaches you, holding a scarf and asks, È la tua? And just like that, you instantly realize you unknowingly dropped your beloved scarf, while being introduced to the word tua, a new Italian pronoun called an Italian possessive pronoun, the equivalent to saying ‘yours’ in English.
This guide will help you understand how to use Italian possessive pronouns correctly in various sentences, so your Italian sounds more fluent and authentic. To see how much you’ve learned, don’t forget to complete the free quiz at the end of this lesson to test your new-found knowledge!
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When you start learning Italian, it’s pretty common to keep repeating the same basic phrases and words, but if you’re gunning for fluency, it’s time to shake things up a bit. The key? Familiarize yourself with Italian pronouns to inject rhythm into your sentences!
Cominciamo! (Let’s get started!)
What are Italian Possessive Pronouns?
In Italian, possessive pronouns are essential for expressing ownership or belonging, which are common concepts in daily conversation. Like all Italian pronouns, they replace nouns to prevent repetition, and specify who owns or is associated with the person, animal, or object referred to by the noun.
Here are some examples:
- Io e Luca abbiamo ordinato un gelato ma il mio era più piccolo del suo. (Luca and I ordered an ice-cream but mine was smaller than his.)
Here, mio replaces il mio gelato.
- Mia sorella prende sempre il mio ombrello perché dimentica il suo in giro. (My sister always takes my umbrella because she leaves hers around.)
Here, suo replaces il suo ombrello.
- Che macchina usiamo per andare al concerto domani? La mia o la vostra? (Which car should we use to go to the concert tomorrow? Mine or yours?)
Here, mia and vostra stand for la mia macchina and la vostra macchina respectively.
Keep reading to master the basics of Italian possessive pronouns, so you can chat like a local. And don’t miss the fun quiz at the end of this guide to see how much you’ve picked up!
Italian Possessive Pronouns Chart
Here are the possessive pronouns in Italian. They vary based on gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they relate to. One key point to remember is that the third-person plural pronoun loro remains consistent in all uses.
| Italian Possessive Pronouns | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Italian | English | |||||
| Masc. singular | Masc. plural | Fem. singular | Fem. plural | Masc. singular / plural | Fem. singular / plural | |
| 1° person singular | il mio | i miei | la mia | le mie | mine | mine |
| 2° person singular | il tuo | i tuoi | la tua | le tue | yours | yours |
| 3° person singular | il suo | i suoi | la sua | le sue | his, yours (polite) | hers, yours (polite) |
| 1° person plural | il nostro | i nostri | la nostra | le nostre | ours | ours |
| 2° person plural | il vostro | i vostri | la vostra | le vostre | yours | yours |
| 3° person plural | il loro | i loro | la loro | le loro | theirs | theirs |
How to Use Italian Possessive Pronouns
As you can see, Italian possessive pronouns are similar to possessive adjectives, but their roles in sentences are different:
- Possessive Adjectives are used with nouns to show ownership (e.g., i nostri amici – our friends; il mio ragazzo – my boyfriend).
- Possessive Pronouns replace nouns entirely (e.g., i nostri amici sono più simpatici dei vostri – our friends are nicer than yours; il mio ragazzo è più figo del tuo – my boyfriend is cooler than yours).
Additionally, possessive pronouns in Italian always require a definite article (like la, il, le, etc. – “the” in English) before them. For example:
- Se hai dimenticato il cellulare, puoi usare il mio. (If you forgot your phone, you can use mine.)
- Anna ha rotto la bicicletta, così l’ho accompagnata a casa con la mia. (Anna broke her bicycle, so I took her home with mine.)
Special Uses of Italian Possessive Pronouns
In Italian, possessive pronouns are often used in a unique way, where they stand alone without a directly associated noun. This usage, which is more common in casual conversations, conveys specific meanings that are usually easy to understand from the context.
Let’s explore some examples:
- Mattia è andato dai suoi per il fine settimana. (Mattia went to his [parents] for the weekend.)
Suoi here implies genitori, meaning that Mattia went to his parents’ house.
- Finalmente sono arrivati i nostri! (Finally, our [people] have arrived!)
In this case, nostri represents gli alleati, indicating the arrival of supporters.
- Non ha avuto la possibilità di dire la sua. (He didn’t have the chance to express his [opinion]).
Sua suggests opinione, meaning the guy couldn’t express his opinion.
- Brindiamo alla nostra/vostra. (Let’s toast to our/your [health].)
Nostra/vostra refer to la salute and is commonly used when celebrating.
- Giulia ne ha combinata una delle sue. (Giulia has done one of his [things].)
Sue implies azioni, suggesting actions characteristic of Giulia.
- Per non licenziarla, ci ho rimesso del mio. (To avoid firing her, I lost my [money].)
Mio indicates soldi (money), revealing the speaker’s financial effort.
Italian Possessive Pronouns Quiz
Let’s test your knowledge of Italian possessive pronouns. Fill in the blanks in these sentences using the correct possessive pronoun.
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Ci vediamo lì! (See you there!)
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