Possessives
Mio, tuo, suo and friends agree with the thing owned, not with the owner.
Italian possessives are il mio, la mia, i miei, le mie — and likewise tuo, suo, nostro, vostro, loro. They agree with the noun that follows, not with the owner's gender: Marco parla con la sua madre uses sua because madre is feminine, whoever owns her.
Unlike English, the possessive normally takes the article: la mia casa, il tuo lavoro, i nostri amici. The article disappears only before singular, unmodified family members: mia madre, tuo fratello — but la mia sorella maggiore (modified) and il loro nonno (loro never drops it).
Suo means both his and her — context decides. Because endings do not mark the owner, Italians often clarify with di lui or di lei after the noun: la macchina di lui (his car).
Examples
- La mia casa è piccola. My house is small.
- I tuoi amici sono simpatici. Your friends are nice.
- Mia madre è italiana. My mother is Italian. (no article before close family)
- Il loro figlio studia a Milano. Their son studies in Milan.
- Hai visto le mie chiavi? Have you seen my keys?
Common mistake
Choosing the ending by the owner's gender — il suo madre is wrong twice. The article and ending follow the noun: la sua madre, or simply sua madre for close family.