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Lesson 4 of 16

Family, Time and Possession

Talk about your family, say what belongs to you, tell the time and move between yesterday, today and tomorrow — including your first -ere and -ire past tenses.

⏱ About 50 minutes 22 phrases 25 exercises

What you will learn

  • Use possessive adjectives: il mio, la mia, i miei, le mie
  • Name your family members with the correct articles
  • Count to 12 and use larger useful numbers
  • Tell the time with Che ore sono?
  • Form past participles of -are, -ere and -ire verbs
  • Use ieri, oggi, domani and adesso in sentences

Quick review

Say these aloud before you start. They come from earlier lessons.

  • Mi chiamo Laura. My name is Laura.
  • Voglio un caffè. I want a coffee.
  • Mi piace la musica. I like music.
  • Ho parlato con Marco. I spoke with Marco.
  • Sono di Roma. I am from Rome.

Theory

Possessives: the article stays

Italian possessive adjectives keep their definite article: il mio libro (my book), la mia casa (my house), i miei libri, le mie case. The article changes with the noun's gender and number, not with the owner.

The owner only changes the adjective itself: mio (my), tuo (your), suo (his/her), nostro (our), vostro (your), loro (their). Suo can mean his, her or formal your — context decides.

One famous exception: family members in the singular drop the article — mia madre (my mother), mio padre (my father), but i miei genitori (plural keeps the article).

  • Il mio libro è qui. My book is here.
  • Mia madre vive a Napoli. My mother lives in Naples.
  • I miei genitori sono italiani. My parents are Italian.
Possessive examples la mia casa, il mio libro and la mia macchina, with the note that singular family members take no article.
Family tree of la mia famiglia with il nonno, la nonna, il padre, la madre, la zia, il fratello, la sorella and il cugino.

Telling the time

Ask Che ore sono? (What time is it?) and answer Sono le tre (It is three o'clock). For one o'clock only, the verb is singular: È l'una (It is one).

Half hours: Sono le tre e mezzo (3:30). Quarter hours: e un quarto (quarter past), meno un quarto (quarter to). Minutes: Sono le due e dieci (2:10).

  • Che ore sono? What time is it?
  • Sono le tre. It is three o'clock.
  • È l'una. It is one o'clock.
Clocks showing è l'una, sono le tre and sono le tre e mezza.

Past participles: -ato, -uto, -ito

The passato prossimo needs a past participle. Regular verbs: -are → -ato (parlare → parlato), -ere → -uto (vendere → venduto), -ire → -ito (dormire → dormito).

Keep the participle attached to ho/hai/ha... and you can already describe yesterday: Ieri ho lavorato. Ieri ho venduto la macchina. Ieri ho dormito bene.

  • Ieri ho lavorato. Yesterday I worked.
  • Ho venduto la macchina. I sold the car.
  • Hai dormito bene? Did you sleep well?

ieri, oggi, domani, adesso

Four time words organise your story: ieri (yesterday), oggi (today), domani (tomorrow), adesso (now). Italian uses them with the present or passato prossimo — the future form comes in Lesson 14, but domani works fine with the present for plans.

Numbers are the backbone of time: uno, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei, sette, otto, nove, dieci, undici, dodici, then venti (20), trenta (30), cento (100).

  • Oggi lavoro, ieri ho riposato. Today I work; yesterday I rested.
  • Domani ho una riunione. Tomorrow I have a meeting.
  • Adesso sono le due. It is two o'clock now.
Timeline from ieri to oggi to domani with the past-participle endings -ato, -uto and -ito.
Possessive adjectives
masculine singular feminine singular masculine plural feminine plural
mio il mio libro la mia casa i miei libri le mie case
tuo il tuo libro la tua casa i tuoi libri le tue case
suo il suo libro la sua casa i suoi libri le sue case
nostro il nostro libro la nostra casa i nostri libri le nostre case
loro il loro libro la loro casa i loro libri le loro case

The article follows the noun; the adjective follows the owner. Singular family members drop the article: mia madre.

Regular past participles
infinitive participle
-are parlare parlato
-ere vendere venduto
-ire dormire dormito

ho + participle: Ho parlato, ho venduto, ho dormito.

Vocabulary

Italian English Pronunciation Audio
la famiglia family /faˈmiʎʎa/ fah-MEE-lyah
il padre father /ˈpadre/ PAH-dreh
la madre mother /ˈmadre/ MAH-dreh
il fratello brother /fraˈtɛllo/ frah-TEHL-loh
la sorella sister /soˈrɛlla/ soh-REHL-lah
il figlio son /ˈfiʎʎo/ FEE-lyoh
la figlia daughter /ˈfiʎʎa/ FEE-lyah
i genitori parents /dʒeniˈtori/ jeh-nee-TOH-ree
la nonna grandmother /ˈnɔnna/ NOHN-nah
il nonno grandfather /ˈnɔnno/ NOHN-noh
l'orologio clock, watch /oroˈlɔdʒo/ oh-roh-LOH-joh
l'ora hour, time /ˈora/ OH-rah
il mezzogiorno noon, midday /mɛddzoˈdʒorno/ mehd-zoh-JOR-noh
la mezzanotte midnight /mɛddzaˈnɔtte/ mehd-zah-NOHT-teh
ieri yesterday /ˈjɛri/ YEH-ree
domani tomorrow /doˈmani/ doh-MAH-nee
vendere to sell /ˈvendere/ VEHN-deh-reh
riposare to rest /ripoˈzare/ ree-poh-ZAH-reh
chiamare to call /kjaˈmare/ kyah-MAH-reh
la macchina car /ˈmakkina/ MAHK-kee-nah
la casa house, home /ˈkasa/ KAH-zah
il mese month /ˈmese/ MEH-zeh
l'anno year /ˈanno/ AHN-noh
la settimana week /settiˈmana/ seht-tee-MAH-nah
il numero number /ˈnumero/ NOO-meh-roh

Ready-to-use phrases

Quanti anni hai?

How old are you?

IPA /ˈkwanti ˈanni ˈai/

Say it KWAHN-tee AH-nee eye

Italian says 'how many years do you have'.

informal questions age

Ho trent'anni.

I am thirty years old.

IPA /o trenˈtanni/

Say it oh trehn-TAHN-nee

avere + age, never essere.

neutral age

Questa è la mia famiglia.

This is my family.

IPA /ˈkwesta ɛ la ˈmia famiˈʎʎa/

Say it KWEH-stah eh lah MEE-ah fah-MEE-lyah

neutral family introductions

Mio padre è un insegnante.

My father is a teacher.

IPA /ˈmio ˈpadre ɛ un inseɲˈɲante/

Say it MEE-oh PAH-dreh eh oon een-sehn-YAHN-teh

mio padre — no article for singular family members.

neutral family professions

Mia madre lavora a casa.

My mother works at home.

IPA /ˈmia ˈmadre laˈvora a ˈkasa/

Say it MEE-ah MAH-dreh lah-VOH-rah ah KAH-zah

neutral family work

Ho due fratelli e una sorella.

I have two brothers and one sister.

IPA /o ˈdue fraˈtɛlli e ˈuna soˈrɛlla/

Say it oh DOO-eh frah-TEHL-lee eh OO-nah soh-REHL-lah

neutral family numbers

Il mio libro è sul tavolo.

My book is on the table.

IPA /il ˈmio ˈlibro ɛ sul ˈtavolo/

Say it eel MEE-oh LEE-broh eh sool TAH-voh-loh

sul = su + il.

neutral possessives

Che ore sono?

What time is it?

IPA /ke ˈore ˈsono/

Say it keh OH-reh SOH-noh

neutral questions time

Sono le tre.

It is three o'clock.

IPA /ˈsono le ˈtre/

Say it SOH-noh leh TREH

Sono le + hour. Only one o'clock is different.

neutral time

È l'una.

It is one o'clock.

IPA /ɛ ˈluna/

Say it eh LOO-nah

Singular verb for one o'clock.

neutral time

Sono le due e dieci.

It is ten past two.

IPA /ˈsono le ˈdue e ˈdjɛtʃi/

Say it SOH-noh leh DOO-eh eh DYEH-chee

neutral time

A che ora arriva?

What time does he/she arrive?

IPA /a ke ˈora arˈriva/

Say it ah keh OH-rah ah-REE-vah

neutral time questions

Ieri ho lavorato fino alle sei.

Yesterday I worked until six.

IPA /ˈjɛri o lavoˈrato ˈfino ˈalle ˈsɛi/

Say it YEH-ree oh lah-voh-RAH-toh FEE-noh AL-leh SAY

alle = a + le.

neutral past time

Domani ho una riunione.

Tomorrow I have a meeting.

IPA /doˈmani o ˈuna riuˈnjone/

Say it doh-MAH-nee oh OO-nah ree-yoo-NYOH-neh

neutral work plans

Ho venduto la macchina.

I sold the car.

IPA /o venˈduto la ˈmakkina/

Say it oh vehn-DOO-toh lah MAHK-kee-nah

vendere → venduto.

neutral past

Hai dormito bene?

Did you sleep well?

IPA /ai dorˈmito ˈbɛne/

Say it eye dor-MEE-toh BEH-neh

dormire → dormito.

informal past questions

La mia casa è piccola ma bella.

My house is small but beautiful.

IPA /la ˈmia ˈkasa ɛ ˈpikkola ma ˈbɛlla/

Say it lah MEE-ah KAH-zah eh PEEK-koh-lah mah BEHL-lah

neutral possessives descriptions

I miei genitori sono a Firenze.

My parents are in Florence.

IPA /i ˈmjɛi dʒeniˈtori ˈsono a fiˈrɛntse/

Say it ee MYEH-ee jeh-nee-TOH-ree SOH-noh ah fee-REHN-tseh

Plural family members keep the article: i miei genitori.

neutral family places

Quanti anni ha tuo fratello?

How old is your brother?

IPA /ˈkwanti ˈanni a ˈtwo fraˈtɛllo/

Say it KWAHN-tee AH-nee ah TOO-oh frah-TEHL-loh

informal age family

Adesso sono le sette e mezzo.

It is half past seven now.

IPA /aˈdesso ˈsono le ˈsɛtte e ˈmɛddzo/

Say it ah-DEHS-soh SOH-noh leh SEHT-teh eh MEHD-zoh

neutral time

La riunione è domani alle dieci.

The meeting is tomorrow at ten.

IPA /la riuˈnjone ɛ doˈmani ˈalle ˈdjɛtʃi/

Say it lah ree-yoo-NYOH-neh eh doh-MAH-nee AL-leh DYEH-chee

neutral work time

Questo orologio è di mio nonno.

This watch belongs to my grandfather.

IPA /ˈkwesto oroˈlɔdʒo ɛ di ˈmio ˈnɔnno/

Say it KWEH-stoh oh-roh-LOH-joh eh dee MEE-oh NOHN-noh

neutral possessives family

Dialogues

Showing photos of the family

Giulia shows photos to a new friend.

  1. Giulia

    Questa è la mia famiglia.

    This is my family.

  2. Emma

    Bella! Chi è questo?

    Lovely! Who is this?

  3. Giulia

    È mio padre. È un ingegnere.

    He is my father. He is an engineer.

  4. Emma

    E questa signora?

    And this lady?

  5. Giulia

    È mia madre. Lavora a casa.

    She is my mother. She works at home.

  6. Emma

    Hai fratelli?

    Do you have siblings?

  7. Giulia

    Sì, due fratelli e una sorella.

    Yes, two brothers and one sister.

  8. Emma

    Che bella famiglia!

    What a lovely family!

Arranging a time to meet

Two colleagues plan a coffee break.

  1. Marco

    Che ore sono?

    What time is it?

  2. Sara

    Sono le tre e un quarto.

    It is a quarter past three.

  3. Marco

    A che ora finisci di lavorare?

    What time do you finish work?

  4. Sara

    Alle cinque. Ieri ho finito alle sei.

    At five. Yesterday I finished at six.

  5. Marco

    Domani alle dieci ho una riunione.

    Tomorrow at ten I have a meeting.

  6. Sara

    E domani alle dodici prendiamo un caffè?

    And tomorrow at noon shall we get a coffee?

  7. Marco

    Perfetto, ci vediamo domani!

    Perfect, see you tomorrow!

Exercises

Multiple Choice Exercise 1

Choose the correct possessive.

___ libro (my book)
Multiple Choice Exercise 2

Choose the correct possessive.

___ casa (my house)
Multiple Choice Exercise 3

Choose the correct possessive.

___ genitori (my parents)
Fill Gap Exercise 4

Fill the gap with the possessive, without article.

___ madre vive a Napoli. (my)
Conjugation Exercise 5

Write the past participle.

vendere — past participle
Conjugation Exercise 6

Write the past participle.

dormire — past participle
Fill Gap Exercise 7

Fill the gap with the missing word.

Che ___ sono? (time)
Fill Gap Exercise 8

Fill the gap.

___ l'una. (It is one o'clock.)
Translate To Italian Exercise 9

Translate into Italian.

I am thirty years old.
Translate To Italian Exercise 10

Translate into Italian.

What time is it?
Translate To Italian Exercise 11

Translate into Italian.

It is three o'clock.
Translate To Italian Exercise 12

Translate into Italian.

My mother works at home.
Translate To Italian Exercise 13

Translate into Italian.

Yesterday I worked until six.
Translate To English Exercise 14

Translate into English.

Ho venduto la macchina.
Translate To English Exercise 15

Translate into English.

Questa è la mia famiglia.
Word Order Exercise 16

Tap the words in the correct order.

Build the sentence: Tomorrow I have a meeting.
Match Pairs Exercise 17

Tap an English number, then its Italian word.

Match the number words.
Match Pairs Exercise 18

Tap a noun, then its article.

Match each family member to its article.
True False Exercise 19

True or false?

Il mio libro is correct for 'my book'.
True False Exercise 20

True or false?

Sono le una is the correct way to say 'it is one o'clock'.
Listen And Type Exercise 21

Play the audio, then type exactly what you hear.

Listen and write the Italian sentence.
Listen And Choose Exercise 22

Play the audio, then pick the answer.

Listen and choose the time you hear.
Article Choice Exercise 23

Choose the correct numbers.

Ho ___ fratelli e ___ sorella.
Flashcard Self Rating Exercise 24

Say the sentence aloud, then reveal and rate yourself.

Ieri ho lavorato fino alle sei.
Flashcard Self Rating Exercise 25

Say the sentence aloud, then reveal and rate yourself.

Questa è la mia famiglia.

Speak now

Describe your family aloud: who they are, what they do, how old they are. Then say what time it is now and what you did yesterday at that time.

  • La mia famiglia è grande. My family is big.
  • Mio padre è un ingegnere. My father is an engineer.
  • Mia madre lavora a casa. My mother works at home.
  • Ho due fratelli e una sorella. I have two brothers and one sister.
  • Ieri ho lavorato fino alle sei. Yesterday I worked until six.

Lesson checkpoint

Before you move on, make sure you can do all of this without looking:

  1. Use il mio / la mia / i miei / le mie with the right noun
  2. Say your age with avere
  3. Tell the time, including È l'una
  4. Form past participles of -are, -ere and -ire verbs
  5. Build sentences with ieri, oggi, domani and adesso

Remember this

  • Possessives keep the article: il mio libro; singular family members drop it: mia madre.
  • Age uses avere: Ho trent'anni, not sono trent'anni.
  • Time: Che ore sono? — Sono le tre; È l'una for one o'clock.
  • Past participles: -are→-ato, -ere→-uto, -ire→-ito; always with ho/hai/ha...
  • ieri (yesterday), oggi (today), domani (tomorrow), adesso (now).

Go deeper: Possessives · Time and dates · Numbers · Passato prossimo