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  3.1.2.1 Definite articles before possessive pronouns 2

So, back to the main topic.

In front of possessive pronoun a definite article is mandatory in Italian.

  Example        
Io vendo la mia casa
  I sell   my house.  

There are exceptions to that simple rule and there are exceptions to the exceptions as well.

The general rule that in front of a possessive pronouns must be an definite article DOES NOT APPLY, when ....

  ...there is a parental relationship:  
  mio padre => my father
  mia madre => my mother
  mio zio => my uncle
  mia nonna => my grand mother
  mio cugino => my cousin
  mio fratello => my brother
  but: when talking in plural, there must be a definite article  
  i miei zii => my uncles
  i miei nonni => my grandparents
  i miei cugini => my cousins
  i miei fratelli => my brothers
  and: if there is a more detailed description, there must be a definite article  
  Il mio zio che abita a Roma. => My uncle living in Rome.
  La mia nonna che abita a Firenze. => My grandmother who lives in Florence
  Il mio cugino che è architetto. => My cousin, who is an architect.
  Il mio fratello che sta a Parigi adesso. => My brother who lives in Paris
  and: in the third person plural, there must be always a definite article  
  Il loro zio. =>her uncle
La loro madre => her mother
  Le loro sorelle => her sister
  and: in case of a pet name there must be a definite article  
  il mio fratellino => my little brother
  la mia mamma => my mum
  il mio papà => my dad





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