I.my [brit. angl. mʌɪ, am. angl. maɪ]DOL.When translating my, remember that in Italian possessives, like most other adjectives, agree in gender and number with the noun they qualify, not as in English with the possessor they refer to; my is translated by mio + masculine singular noun (my neighbour, my dog = il mio vicino, il mio cane), mia + feminine singular noun (my teacher, my house = la mia maestra, la mia casa), miei + masculine plural noun (my children, my books = i miei figli, i miei libri), and mie + feminine plural noun (my friends, my shoes = le mie amiche, le mie scarpe). - The above examples also show that Italian possessives, unlike English ones, are normally preceded by an article. - When own is used after my to intensify the meaning of the possessive, it is not usually translated in Italian: I'll get there on my own car = ci andrò con la mia macchina. - When my is used before nouns indicating parts of the body (for which), garments, relatives, food and drink etc., Italian has an article instead: I had my hair cut = mi sono fatto tagliare i capelli; I kept my hat on = ho tenuto il cappello; I have eaten up my soup = ho finito la minestra; I'm in my forties = ho passato la quarantina.
