Non possiedo questa bicicletta.

this

Breakdown of Non possiedo questa bicicletta.

• la bicicletta: the bicycle
• non: not
• possedere: to possess; own

Questions & Answers about Non possiedo questa bicicletta.

Why is non placed before possiedo?

In Italian, non normally goes directly before the conjugated verb to make the sentence negative.

• possiedo = I own
• non possiedo = I do not own

This is the standard pattern in simple sentences:

• Non mangio = I do not eat
• Non capisco = I do not understand

So Non possiedo questa bicicletta follows the normal Italian word order for negation.

Why isn’t there a subject pronoun like io?

Italian often leaves out subject pronouns because the verb ending already shows who is doing the action.

• possiedo already means I own
• so io is optional

You could say:

• Io non possiedo questa bicicletta

but this usually adds emphasis, as if you were saying I do not own this bicycle.

In neutral sentences, Italians usually omit the pronoun.

What form is possiedo?