Italian Possessive Pronouns

The Companions of Possessive Adjectives

Old red vintage car on the narrow street in Italy
Alexander Spatari / Getty Images

Italian possessive pronouns (pronomi possessivi) serve the same function of their English counterparts: They replace a noun previously used with a possessive adjective (aggettivo possessivo) in order to avoid repetition. They translate to the English "mine," "yours," “his," "hers," "yours," and "theirs":

  • That is your car; this is mine. Questa è la tua macchina; quella è la mia.
  • That is my book; this is yours. Quello è il mio libro; questo è il tuo.
  • Those are Lara's cats; that is mine. Quelli sono i gatti di Lara; quello è il mio.

The latter is the possessive pronoun.

Number and Gender Agreement

Just like their fellow possessive adjectives, possessive pronouns must agree in number and gender with the noun they replace (the thing whose possession we are discussing) and are accompanied by the appropriate definite article (articolo determinativo), also in agreement, or articulated proposition (if there is also a preposition).

Possessive Pronouns in Italian

 

masculine singular

feminine singular

masculine plural

feminine plural

mine

il mio

la mia

i miei

le mie

yours

il tuo

la tua

i tuoi

le tue

his/hers/yours formal 

il suo

la sua

i suoi

le sue

ours

il nostro

la nostra

i nostri

le nostre

yours

il vostro

la vostra

i vostri

le vostre

theirs

il loro

la loro

i loro

le loro

For example:

  • Suo figlio è molto studioso; non posso dire altrettanto del mio. Your son is very studious; I cannot say the same of mine.
  • Mia madre è più severa della tua. My mother is stricter than yours.
  • Il nostro disegno è sul nostro tavolo; il vostro è sul vostro. Our drawing is on our table; yours is on yours.
  • I miei interessi contrastano con i loro. My interests conflict with theirs.
  • La mia Vespa va più forte della tua. My Vespa goes faster than yours.

Using the Possessive "Di"

If you are introducing someone else's possession into the sentence with a proper name (mine, yours, and Giulia's, for example), you need to use the regular Italian possessive di with the pronome dimostrativo quello/a/i/e or you need to repeat the noun.

  • Il mio cane è molto simpatico, il tuo un po' meno, e quello di Carlo è proprio antipatico. My dog is very cool, yours a little less, and Carlo's (that of Carlo) is really stuffy.
  • La casa di Giulia è molto grande, la tua è piccola, la mia è piccolissima, e quella di Francesca è enorme. Giulia's house is very big, yours is little, mine is tiny, and Francesca's (that of Francesca) is enormous.
  • La tua famiglia è cinese, la mia francese. E la famiglia di Gianni? Your family is Chinese, mine is French. And Gianni's (that of Gianni)?

Other Ways to Use Possessive Pronouns

In a particular set of constructs or expressions, possessive pronouns stand in for nouns that go completely unmentioned and whose meaning or presence, because of longstanding use in those particular contexts, is understood. In other words, rather than standing in for a noun, they replace it without any need for the noun to be mentioned at all. If it feels like something is missing, it's because it is.

Declaring What's Mine (or Yours)

In certain contexts, the masculine singular possessive pronoun form il mio, il tuo, il suo, etc., implies ciò che appartiene a me, or ciò che spetta a me—my stuff, that which belongs to me, or my due.

For example:

  • Il tuo non te lo tocca nessuno. No one is going to touch yours (what belongs to you).
  • Stai nel tuo e io sto nel mio. You stay in yours (where you belong, in your property or space) and I stay in mine (where I belong).
  • Dateci il nostro e ce ne andremo. Give us ours (our due) and we’ll go.
  • Vivono del loro. They live of their own (with their own production).
  • Non pretende che il suo. He doesn’t demand anything but his own (what is rightfully his).

And there is the famous saying, A ciascuno il suo. To each his own.

As you can see, there is no noun to say ciò che appartiene a me; the pronoun does it.

Establishing Boundaries

With the verb fare, in the masculine plural i miei, i tuoi, etc. can be used to mean business (affari, fatti, or cavoli, a euphemism for one's private matters). In other words, to mind your or someone's business.

  • Te fatti i tuoi e io mi faccio i miei. You mind yours (your business) and I will mind mine.
  • Si deve sempre fare quelli degli altri. She always has to mind other people's business (that of others).

Discussing Family Members

In talking about family members you use the masculine plural possessive pronoun (i miei, i tuoi, etc.) to mean parents or relatives generally (or cari, dear ones). Vivo con i miei means, I live with my parents, without mention of parents.

  • Salutami i tuoi. Say hi to yours (your parents) for me.
  • Non potrà più contare sull'aiuto dei suoi. He will not be able to count on the help of his (his parents).
  • Sei sempre nel cuore dei miei. You are always in the heart of my dear ones.

It can also indicate supporters or troops related to battles, rivalries, or games.

  • Arrivano i nostri. Ours (our reinforcements) are arriving.
  • Anch'io sono dei vostri. I’m with you (one of yours).
  • È uno dei loro. He’s one of them (of theirs).

In Correspondence

In correspondence, the feminine singular possessive pronoun (la mia, la tua, la sua) implies the word "letter":

  • Spero che tu abbia ricevuto la mia ultima. I hope you received my last (letter/e-mail).
  • Rispondo con un po' di ritardo alla tua carissima. I’m responding a bit late to your dear (letter).

Expressing Solidarity

Used generally with the verbs essere and stare, the singular feminine possessive pronoun mia or tua stands in for parte, which means "side," as in being on someone's side. Sto dalla tua parte: sto dalla tua. I am on your side.

  • Anche lui ora è dalla mia. He’s on mine (my side) too now.
  • Noi stiamo tutti dalla tua. We’re all on yours (your side).
  • Tutto il paese sembre essere dalla sua. The whole town seems to be on his (his side).

The parte or side is entirely understood from the context.

Referring to One's Proclivities

Used with the verbs dire (to say), fare (to do/pull), or combinare (do/pull), possessive pronouns are used in the expressions una delle mie (one of mine), una delle tue (one of yours), una delle sue (one of his/hers), and so forth, to reference something peculiar to that person; something for which that person is known for doing or saying—sort of like an MO. It can mean behaving in a particular way, or saying something outrageous, but it remains unspoken, covered by the pronoun. The specific meaning is known to the insiders in the conversation.

  • Marco si è un po' ubriacato e ne ha fatta una delle sue solite. Marco got a little drunk and pulled one of his (usual stunts).
  • Ne hai combinata ancora una delle tue. You pulled one of yours (one of your usual tricks/fast ones).
  • Francesco ne ha detta una delle sue e la Luisa si è arrabbiata. Francesco said one of his usual (things) and Luisa got mad.
  • Questa è un'altra delle loro. This is another one of theirs (usual things/tricks).

Giving an Opinion

Used with the verb dire, the feminine singular possessive mia, tua, sua, etc., refers to opinione: We are talking here about expressing an opinion without mentioning the opinion at all.

  • Te hai detto la tua; io ho diritto a dire la mia. You said yours (your opinion) and I have a right to say mine.
  • Tutti hanno voluto dire la loro e la riunione è durata tanto. Everyone's wanted to say theirs (their opinion) and the meeting lasted a long time.
  • La Maria deve sempre dire la sua. Maria always has to say hers (her opinion).

Making a Toast

And, of course, when toasting to someone's health or salute:

  • Alla tua! To your health!
  • Alla nostra! To our health!

It is understood that that is what we are toasting to.

Alla vostra!

Format
mla apa chicago
Your Citation
Filippo, Michael San. "Italian Possessive Pronouns." ThoughtCo, Apr. 5, 2023, thoughtco.com/italian-possessive-pronouns-2011455. Filippo, Michael San. (2023, April 5). Italian Possessive Pronouns. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/italian-possessive-pronouns-2011455 Filippo, Michael San. "Italian Possessive Pronouns." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/italian-possessive-pronouns-2011455 (accessed March 28, 2024).