Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| suo | /ˈsu.o/ | masculine |
| suoi | /ˈswɔ.i/ | masculine, plural |
The word is used as an attributive possessive adjective to indicate that something belongs to him. It is important to note that the form of the word is determined by the gender and number of the object possessed, rather than the gender of the owner.
Which one should you use?
The forms suo and suoi are both masculine, but suoi is the plural form. If you are referring to 'that which belongs to him' as a pronoun, you would use the articles with the forms, such as il suo, la sua or i suoi.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of 'his' must agree in gender and number with the object possessed, not the person who owns it. For example, while suo is the masculine form, the feminine form is sua and the feminine plural form is le sue.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈsu.o/ (2 syllables, stress on the 1st)
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to make the possessive adjective agree with the owner (him) rather than the noun being possessed.
Did you know?
- While suo is the standard word for 'his', the formal 'you' Lei also uses suo for 'your', meaning a single word can refer to a third party or the person you are speaking to.
- Because suo can mean 'his' 'her' 'its' or 'their', Italians often add di lui after the noun to clarify that the object specifically belongs to him.
- The word suo descends from the Latin suus, which evolved from the Proto-Indo-European root *swé.
Examples in context
- Il cane è suo.The dog is his.This sentence shows how to use suo to indicate ownership of a dog.Tatoeba #2352458 by Guybrush88, translation #1828438 by Amastan
- È il suo tipo.She's his type.This sentence uses suo to describe a person's type.Tatoeba #8540973 by Guybrush88, translation #8537099 by CH
- È il suo capo.She's his boss.This sentence uses suo to identify someone's boss.Tatoeba #8572419 by Guybrush88, translation #8537095 by CH
- 9181 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Alessandro and Chiara are at a café.
- AlessandroDov'è il suo cellulare?Where is his cell phone?
- ChiaraÈ sul tavolo.It is on the table.
- AlessandroGrazie, Chiara.Thanks, Chiara.
- ChiaraPrego, Alessandro.You're welcome, Alessandro.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “his” translations and entries suo, suoi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries suo, suoi, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
