Lesson 32 of 40 · win the Ownership Officer badge
Il mio, la tua, la sua — i possessivi
Possessives with confidence
Everyone's belongings got mixed up in one giant pile. Whose backpack is this? Whose dog is THAT? (Spoiler: it's Luna's, obviously.)
🎯 By the end you can…
- Use possessive adjectives with all kinds of nouns
- Handle family nouns, which drop the article
- Say whose something is without pointing
🎬 Listen to the scene
Tap a line to hear it, then say it back louder than Luna barks.
Whose lead is this?
It's mine, but I think it's Luna's too.
And is that your sister?
Yes, that's my sister Sara, with her dog.
🔑 Possessive adjectives
| masc. sing. | fem. sing. | masc. pl. | fem. pl. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| my | il mio | la mia | i miei | le mie |
| your | il tuo | la tua | i tuoi | le tue |
| his/her | il suo | la sua | i suoi | le sue |
| our | il nostro | la nostra | i nostri | le nostre |
Adam's tip: The possessive agrees with the THING owned, not with the owner: la sua palla can mean his ball or her ball.
🧩 Family exception
- Singular family member, no article: mia madre, mio fratello, tua zia
- Plural or 'modified' family member, article returns: i miei fratelli, la mia sorellina
- Loro always keeps the article: la loro casa, il loro cane
🤯 Wow fact
Say 'mia madre' with no article, but 'la mia sorellina' needs one back — Italian possessives have one sneaky little exception just for family.
🗣️ Say it fast, say it silly
Il mio, la mia, i miei, le mie — tutto mio!
Three times in a row without tripping = you win.
🧠 Puzzle time
Answer in your head first, then tap to check. 0 of 6 checked
Fill in the possessive.
Correct the mistake.
😂 Barzelletta — Luna's joke
Di chi è quella cuccia?
🚀 Your mission today
Point to five objects at home and say whose they are, remembering the family-word exception.
🎲 Play it with someone
Whose is it?
Mix up five bags/objects belonging to different students. They must claim theirs: «È il mio zaino» or reject others' correctly.
Family album
Show a family photo (real or drawn) and introduce five people using possessives, remembering the family-noun exception.
For teachers & grown-ups
This lesson pairs nicely with lesson 17 from the A1 course — a good recap moment.
🧪 End-of-lesson quiz
Eight quick questions. Get 6 right to win the Ownership Officer badge.
This lesson belongs to Unit 12 — Comparing and instructing. Pass every quiz in the unit — and know 1750 words — to be promoted to the next level.
💪 Keep the streak going
- Flashcards, Set 30 — family
- Describe five objects at home saying whose they are
Word sets for this lesson
