When to use a definite article with a possessive

When you want to express a possession of something in Italian, you typically structure it in the following format:

💡
Definite article + Possessive + Noun
  • Il mio cane - My dog, literally "the my dog"
  • I suoi colleghi - His colleagues, literally "the his/her colleagues"
  • Tua nonna - Your grandma, literally "your grandma"

Skrrrrrt, record scratch.

Why does the the last one not take a definite article?

When to use definite articles with possessives, and when to drop them

Italian uses definite articles with possessive adjectives in most cases to maintain a consistent grammatical structure. This helps to avoid ambiguity in sentences where the possessive alone might not clearly indicate the relationship.

One major exception is when you're talking about a singular, close family member.

  • My dad (Mio papà) - No definite article
  • Your uncle (Tuo zio) - No definite article
  • His sister (Sua sorella) - No definite article

Simple enough. Time for the exception to the exception -

When you are using the possessive loro, which means "their," it you must always include the definite article.

  • Their mother - La loro madre
  • Their father - Il loro padre
  • Their sister - La loro sorella

Do you drop the definite article in any other situations?

There two other cases where the definite article can be dropped.

1. After the verb "essere" in certain expressions

In some expressions, especially in idiomatic phrases or proverbs, the definite article can be omitted. For example:

    • "Casa mia è piccola." (My house is small.)
    • "Scelta tua." (Your choice.)

This is not common in everyday usage, and it usually occurs in idiomatic contexts.

2. In compound expressions

When possessives are used in compound phrases, particularly when the possessive is part of an adjective-noun combination, the article may be omitted:

    • "Oggi è giornata mia." (Today is my day.)
    • "È responsabilità sua." (It’s his/her responsibility.)

That all said – these instances are pretty rare.

If you're using articles for possessive, except when discussing close family members in the singular, you are good to go.

Idiom of the day

"Attaccare il cappello."

Literally, "to hang up the hat." Just like with English, this describes someone who settles down in a comfortable situation. The person has found a secure position or have decided to stop working hard because they've reached a point of stability.