Mom and dad, your brothers and sisters, grandpa and your Aunt Millie. They’re all special people, and so there’s a rule just for them. In the plural form, the Italian definite article will appear before the Italian possessive adjective that refers to a family member or relative. For example, instead of saying "my brothers," you are literally saying "the my brothers."

The table below contains other examples:

USE OF ITALIAN DEFINITE ARTICLES WITH POSSESSIVE ADJECTIVES

Mio fratello è carino.

(My brother is cute.)

I miei fratelli sono carini.

(My brothers are cute)

Questo è tuo zio.

(This is your uncle)

Questi sono i tuoi zii.

(These are your uncles.)

Mia nonna è vecchia.

(My grandmother is old.)

Le mie nonne sono vecche.

(My grandmothers are old.)

Mio cugino è straordinario.

(My cousin is exceptional.)

I miei cugini sono straordinari.

(My cousins are exceptional.)