mio
/ˈmi.o/masculine
The English word 'my' is translated into Italian as mio. Wiktionary also lists mia.
Meaning: belonging to me (det)
Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mio | /ˈmi.o/ | masculine |
| mia | feminine |
mio is a possessive determiner used to indicate that something belongs to the speaker.
Which one should you use?
The choice between mio and mia depends on the gender of the object possessed, not the gender of the speaker.
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of the word must agree with the noun it modifies. Use mio when the noun is masculine and singular, and mia when the noun is feminine and singular. For masculine plural nouns, use miei and for feminine plural nouns, use mie.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmi.o/. The word has 2 syllables, with the stress on the 1st syllable.
Did you know?
- When talking about close family members in the singular, such as mio padre or mia sorella, the article is actually dropped, making it a rare exception to the general rule of using articles with possessives.
- Italians sometimes use mio in the phrase mio Dio to express shock or frustration, regardless of whether the speaker is religious.
- The word mio shares the same Latin root, meus, as the English word 'mine', even though 'my' and 'mine' are distinct in English.
Examples in context
- È il mio CD.It's my CD.This example shows how to use mio with a masculine singular noun.Tatoeba #1255270 by Guybrush88, translation #25536 by CK
- È il mio re.He is my king.Tatoeba #8247928 by Guybrush88, translation #6121121 by mailohilohi
- È il mio ex.He's my ex.Tatoeba #9861681 by Guybrush88, translation #8475950 by CH
- Il mio amicoMy friend, masculine
- La mia casaMy house, feminine
- I miei genitoriMy parents
- Le mie amicheMy friends
- Voglio conoscere il mio proprio destino.I want to know my very own destiny.
- Ho lo stesso cappello del mio amico.I have the same hat as my friend.
- 15029 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofia and Lorenzo are looking for a lost item in a cafe.
- SofiaLorenzo, hai visto il mio zaino?Lorenzo, have you seen my backpack?
- LorenzoNo, Sofia, non lo vedo.No, Sofia, I don't see it.
- SofiaForse è sotto il mio tavolo.Maybe it is under my table.
- LorenzoSì, eccolo!Yes, there it is!
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my” translations and entries mio, mia, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries mio, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
