{"id":921,"date":"2011-09-07T15:49:10","date_gmt":"2011-09-07T15:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=921"},"modified":"2011-09-12T13:27:35","modified_gmt":"2011-09-12T13:27:35","slug":"mia-mamma-o-la-mia-mamma","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/mia-mamma-o-la-mia-mamma\/","title":{"rendered":"Mia Mamma o La Mia Mamma?"},"content":{"rendered":"

As promised in Wednesday\u2019s blog, \u2018La Famiglia \u2013 Part 2\u2019, this article will explain when we use the articolo determinativo – <\/strong>definite article (the), i.e. il<\/font>, lo<\/font>, la<\/font>, i<\/font>, gli<\/font>, le<\/font>,<\/strong> when talking about family members.<\/p>\n

The first thing to remember is that in Italian we always use the article before the possessive adjective (my, your,their, etc.), e.g. il<\/font> mio libro –<\/strong> my book, la<\/font> tua penna – <\/strong>your pen, le<\/font> loro biciclette – <\/strong>their bicycles, etc. This rule is still valid when we talk about the family in the plural form, e.g.:<\/p>\n

I <\/font>miei genitori<\/font> abitano a Pontremoli \u2013<\/strong> (the) <\/strong>My parents live in Pontremoli<\/p>\n

Le <\/font>tue sorelle<\/font> sono tutte sposate? – <\/strong>are (the) your sisters all married?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

There is, however, an exception. If we are talking about a single member of the family we don\u2019t<\/u> use the article, e.g.:<\/p>\n

mio marito \u00e8 Inglese<\/strong> \u2013 my husband is English<\/p>\n

mia cugina Francesca abita in Svizzera<\/strong> \u2013 my cousin Francesca lives in Switzerland<\/p>\n

Che lavoro fa tuo padre? \u2013 <\/strong>What\u2019s your father\u2019s job?<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Of course being Italian we have to have a few exceptions to the exception. We use the article if the word that describes the relative is in anyway modified, as in the following instances:<\/p>\n

1.<\/strong> \u2026 <\/strong>the word that describes the relative is modified by a suffix, (highlighted in blue) e.g.:<\/p>\n

La <\/font>mia nipotina<\/font> Margherita ha i capelli biondi e ricci <\/strong>\u2013 My little<\/font> niece Margherita has blond curly hair<\/p>\n

la <\/font>mia cuginetta<\/font> Francesca abita in Svizzera \u2013 <\/strong>my little<\/font> cousin Francesca lives in Switzerland<\/p>\n

Questo \u00e8 il<\/font> nostro zione<\/font> Luciano \u2013 <\/strong>this is our dear<\/font> uncle Luciano<\/p>\n

These suffix normally add a feeling of affection.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

2.<\/strong> \u2026 the word that describes the relative is modified by a prefix, (highlighted in blue) e.g.:<\/p>\n

la <\/font>tua bis<\/font>nonnna si chiamava Dirce \u2013 <\/strong>your great<\/font>-grandmother was called Dirce<\/p>\n

Giovanni \u00e8 il<\/font> suo pro<\/font>nipote \u2013 <\/strong>Giovanni is his\/her great-grandchild<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

3. <\/strong>\u2026 there is a second adjective, (highlighted in blue) e.g.:<\/p>\n

la<\/font> mia nonna materna<\/font> si chiamava Vincenza \u2013 <\/strong>my maternal grandmother was called Vincenza<\/p>\n

il<\/font> mio caro<\/font> marito \u00e8 inglese \u2013 <\/strong>my dear<\/font> husband is English<\/p>\n

Luciano \u00e8 il <\/font>nostro zio preferito<\/font> \u2013 <\/strong>Luciano is our favourite<\/font> uncle<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

4. <\/strong>Finally, we use the definite article when the possessive adjective is loro<\/strong> – their, e.g.:<\/p>\n

questa \u00e8 la <\/font>loro<\/font> figlia \u2013 <\/strong>this is their daughter<\/p>\n

Giuseppe \u00e8 il <\/font>loro<\/font> nonno \u2013 <\/strong>Giuseppe is their grandfather<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

When I was a child I was taught never to say la mia mamma<\/strong> – (the) my mum, il mio pap\u00e0<\/strong> – (the) my dad, and its variation il mio babbo – <\/strong>(the) my dad, but mia mamma, mio pap\u00e0, mio babbo<\/strong>. However, modern grammar books now consider mamma, pap\u00e0 <\/strong>and babbo <\/strong>as modified affectionate forms of madre <\/strong>(mother) and padre <\/strong>(father). Therefore these instances fall within exception 1. above. For this reason they can be used with or without the article. <\/em>It is also quite common these days to hear people using la mamma, il babbo <\/strong>etc. e.g. \u2018come sta la mamma?\u2019<\/strong> \u2013 literally: \u2018how is the mother?\u2019, meaning \u2018how is your mother?\u2019<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As promised in Wednesday\u2019s blog, \u2018La Famiglia \u2013 Part 2\u2019, this article will explain when we use the articolo determinativo – definite article (the), i.e. il, lo, la, i, gli, le, when talking about family members. The first thing to remember is that in Italian we always use the article before the possessive adjective (my…<\/p>\n

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