What does it mean word for word?
Literally, il mio preferito translates to "the my favorite" because Italian possessive adjectives require a definite article.
Which one should you use?
The form you use depends on the gender and number of the person or thing you are describing. Use il mio preferito for a singular masculine noun, la mia preferita for a singular feminine noun, i miei preferiti for masculine plural and le mie preferite for feminine plural.
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase must agree in gender and number with the noun it refers to. For example, if the object is feminine and singular, you use la mia preferita. If you are talking about multiple masculine items, you use i miei preferiti and for multiple feminine items, you use le mie preferite.
How do you pronounce it?
/il ˈmi.o pre.feˈri.to/. The word has 6 syllables and the stress is on the second syllable.
Did you know?
- The root of the word preferito comes from the Latin 'praeferre', which literally means 'to carry before' or 'to carry in front'.
- While il mio preferito describes a favorite, Italian uses the word preferito as a noun to refer to a 'teacher's pet' or a favorite child.
- When Italians discuss their 'favorite' in a passionate way, they may use the word adorato, which means 'adored', to imply a level of preference beyond just 'preferito'.
Examples in context
- È il mio preferito.That's my favorite.This sentence is useful for identifying a singular masculine favorite.Tatoeba #6463994 by Guybrush88, translation #2251095 by CK
- Tom era il mio preferito.Tom was my favorite.Tatoeba #5920586 by Guybrush88, translation #5756696 by CM
- Questo è il mio preferito.This is my favorite.Tatoeba #3176143 by Guybrush88, translation #2647581 by CK
- Il mio preferito è il gelato.My favorite is ice cream.
- La mia preferita è la pizza.My favorite is pizza.
- I miei preferiti sono i gatti.My favorites are cats.
- Le mie preferite sono le montagne.My favorites are mountains.
- Il mio gelato preferitissimo è il cioccolato.My absolute favorite ice cream is chocolate.
- 4 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are looking at a menu of desserts.
- ChiaraQuale dolce vuoi ordinare, Francesco?Which dessert do you want to order, Francesco?
- FrancescoPrendo il tiramisù, è il mio preferito.I'll have the tiramisu, it's my favorite.
- ChiaraAnche per me, è davvero buonissimo!Me too, it's really delicious!
- FrancescoSì, è sicuramente il mio preferito di tutti.Yes, it is definitely my favorite of all.
Sources
- IPA marked “word by word” joins the Wiktionary pronunciations of each word (il, mio, preferito) and can differ in connected speech.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
