AGGETTIVI POSSESSIVI  POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

1. AGGETTIVI POSSESSIVI  POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES What is an adjective? -An adjective is a word that describes a person place or thing. What does the word ‘possessive’ mean? -The word ‘possessive’ refers to ownerships. What are possessive adjectives? -They are words that are used to show who owns or "possesses” something. -They are used to express possession or relationship. What is the rule for Italian when it comes to nouns and adjectives? -They must always agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural).

2. AGGETTIVI POSSESSIVI  POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES • The preposition di + a nounis used to express possession or relationship: • La radio di Gabriele. = Gabriele’s radio. • La capitaled’Italiaè Roma. = The capital ofItaly is Rome. • Sono la ziadi Christian. = I’m Christian’s aunt. • Sono le sorellediGiacomo. = They are Giacomo’s sisters. (***Di + a name is equivalent to ’s in English*** Ex. La radio di Gabriele means The radio of Gabriele.) • The interrogative di chi? means whose? • Di chi è l’appartamento? = Whose apartment is it? • Di chisono le riviste? = Whose magazines are they?

3. AGGETTIVI POSSESSIVI  POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES • Possessive adjectives are also used to express possession. The Italian possessive adjectives are almost always preceded by a definite article. The article and possessive adjective agree in gender and number with the thing possessed. • È ilquadernodi Luigi? = Is it Luigi’s notebook? Sì, è ilsuoquaderno. = Yes, it is his notebook. • Sono le cassette diMarilena? = Are they Marilena’s tapes? Sì, sonole sue cassette. = Yes, they are her tapes. • Di chi è la rivista? Di Elena? = Whose magazine is it? Elena’s? No, è la nostrarivista. = No, it is our magazine.

4. AGGETTIVI POSSESSIVI  POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES • Here is a chart showing all the forms of the possessive adjectives: my your (tu) his,her,its, Your (Lei) our your (voi) their your (Loro)

5. AGGETTIVI POSSESSIVI  POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES Note that, unlike English, Italian does not specify the gender of the possessor. Let’s look at these examples: Marisacercailsuotelefonino. = Marisa is looking for hercell phone. Marcocercailsuotelefonino. = Marco is looking for hiscell phone. Even though we are talking about a female (Marisa) and a male (Marco), they are both looking for the same thing- a cell phone. In Italian, the word for cell phone is telefonino, a masculine and singular noun, which is why we use a masculine and singular possessive adjective suo.

6. AGGETTIVI POSSESSIVI  POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES • A possessive adjective referring to a relative is not preceded by a definite article when it occurs before a singular, unmodified noun: • Nostrofiglioabita in Italia. = Our sonlives in Italy. • Mia madre è maestra. = My motheris a teacher. • Tuopadreinsegnagreco. = Your fatherteaches Greek. • Plural nouns and the nouns mamma and papà always take a definite article, as does loro + noun: • I nostrifigliabitano in Italia. = Our children live in Italy. • La miamamma è maestra. = My mom is a teacher. • Il loropadreinsegnagreco. = Their father teaches Greek.

7. AGGETTIVI POSSESSIVI  POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES Let’s recap what we’ve learned about AggettiviPossessivi: • The preposition di + a noun is used to express possession or relationship • The interrogative di chi? means whose? • Possessive adjectives are also used to express possession. The Italian possessive adjectives are almost always preceded by a definite article. The article and possessive adjective agree in gender and number with the thing possessed. (Note that, unlike English, Italian does not specify the gender of the possessor.) • A possessive adjective referring to a relative is not preceded by a definite article when it occurs before a singular, unmodified noun, whereas plural nouns and the nouns mamma and papà always take a definite article, as does loro + noun