Possessives

What are Italian possessive adjectives?

• Possessive adjectives say who something belongs to: my, your, his, her, our, their.
• In Italian they are two words: article + possessive:
  • il mio computer – my computer
  • la tua borsa – your bag
• The possessive must agree with the noun it describes, not with the person.

Key rule: agree with the noun, not with the owner

Look carefully at these pairs:

• The person (io, tu, lui/lei…) is shown in the middle part: mio, tuo, suo, nostro, vostro, loro.
• The article and the ending change with the noun: il / la / i / le + -o / -a / -i / -e.

Step 1 – Find the gender and number of the noun

Before you choose the possessive, always ask:

• Is the noun masculine or feminine?
• Is it singular or plural?

Quick tips (often, but not always):

• -o → usually masculine singular: il contratto, il programma
• -a → usually feminine singular: la palestra, la borsa
• -i → usually masculine plural: i programmi, gli orari
• -e → usually feminine plural: le scarpe, le email

Examples from your context:

• scarpe → feminine plural → use le …e: le mie scarpe
• palestra → feminine singular → use la …a: la nostra palestra
• programma → masculine singular → use il …o: il tuo programma
• obiettivi → masculine plural → use i …i: i suoi obiettivi

Step 2 – Choose the right pattern

Once you know the noun’s gender and number, choose the pattern:

Then just change the middle (person):

• io → mio / mia / miei / mie
• tu → tuo / tua / tuoi / tue
• lui / lei → suo / sua / suoi / sue
• noi → nostro / nostra / nostri / nostre
• voi → vostro / vostra / vostri / vostre
• loro → loro (does not change, article changes)

Typical mistakes to avoid

• Mixing article and noun
  • Il nostra palestra ✗ → La nostra palestra ✓ (palestra = feminine)
  • La tuo programma ✗ → Il tuo programma ✓ (programma = masculine)
• Using singular possessive with a plural noun
  • Il mio scarpe ✗ → Le mie scarpe ✓
  • Il suoi obiettivi ✗ → I suoi obiettivi ✓
• Choosing gender from the person instead of the noun
  • For a woman speaking: il mio lavoro (not la mia lavoro) – because lavoro is masculine.
  • For a man speaking: la mia borsa (not il mio borsa) – because borsa is feminine.

How to decide quickly – mini procedure

1. Find the noun that you want to "own".
   • Example: scarpe
2. Ask: masculine/feminine? singular/plural?
   • scarpe → feminine plural
3. Choose the frame:
   • Feminine plural → le …e
4. Insert the person:
   • io → le mie scarpe
   • tu → le tue scarpe
   • lui/lei → le sue scarpe
   • noi → le nostre scarpe
   • voi → le vostre scarpe
   • loro → le loro scarpe

Useful pairs from the gym / work context

Self-check: can you do this?

Try to answer mentally before looking at the solutions.

1. You want to say “our meeting” (riunione, feminine singular). What is correct?
   • a) il nostro riunione
   • b) la nostra riunione
2. You want to say “his goals” (obiettivi, masculine plural). What is correct?
   • a) i suoi obiettivi
   • b) il suo obiettivi
3. You want to say “your (singular) locker” (armadietto, masculine singular). What is correct?
   • a) il tuo armadietto
   • b) la tua armadietto

Answers:

• 1 → b) la nostra riunione (feminine singular).
• 2 → a) i suoi obiettivi (masculine plural).
• 3 → a) il tuo armadietto (masculine singular).

What you should pay attention to from now on

• Always look at the noun first, not at the person speaking.
• Check: masculine/feminine, singular/plural.
• Use the correct article + ending pattern (il/la/i/le + -o/-a/-i/-e).
• Be careful with very frequent words at the gym and at work: palestra, scarpe, borsa, programma, orari, clienti, obiettivi.
• When in doubt, write the noun first, then build the possessive around it.