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Questions & Answers about Questo ombrello è tuo.
Why does the possessive tuo come after the noun instead of before it?
In Italian, when a possessive adjective follows the verb essere (“to be”), it acts as a predicative adjective and comes after the noun: Questo ombrello è tuo (“This umbrella is yours”). When you use a possessive attributively (directly before the noun), it precedes the noun and requires the definite article: il tuo ombrello.
Why is there no definite article before tuo in Questo ombrello è tuo?
Because tuo is in predicative position after essere. Predicative possessives drop the article. If you switch to attributive position, you must use the article: Questo ombrello è il tuo (less common) or more naturally Questo è il tuo ombrello.
Why is it questo ombrello and not quello ombrello?
Questo means “this” (something near the speaker), while quello means “that” (something farther away). If you’re pointing at an umbrella close by, you choose questo.
Why is the demonstrative questo and not questa?
Demonstratives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Ombrello is masculine singular, so you use masculine singular questo. You would use questa only with a feminine singular noun (e.g. questa casa).
Could I say Questo è il tuo ombrello instead? Is there a difference?
Yes. Questo è il tuo ombrello literally means “This is your umbrella” and is very common. Questo ombrello è tuo puts a bit more emphasis on the umbrella itself as having the quality “yours,” but both convey the same basic meaning.
Can I simply say È tuo without mentioning questo ombrello?
Absolutely. If context makes it clear which object you’re talking about, you can drop questo ombrello and say È tuo (“It’s yours”).
How would I turn this into the plural: “These umbrellas are yours”?
Make both demonstrative and possessive plural and agree in gender:
Questi ombrelli sono tuoi.
Can I express possession with di te, as in Questo ombrello è di te?
No. In Italian di te usually indicates origin, authorship, or relation, not ownership. To show possession you use a possessive adjective or predicative possessive: Questo ombrello è tuo or attributively il tuo ombrello.
How would I ask “Is this umbrella yours?” in Italian?
You can simply turn the statement into a question:
Questo ombrello è tuo?
More colloquially, you might say Questo è il tuo ombrello? or add a tag …vero?: Questo ombrello è tuo, vero?
How can I emphasize that the umbrella really is yours (“This umbrella really is yours”)?
Insert an adverb of emphasis before tuo:
Questo ombrello è davvero tuo or Questo ombrello è proprio tuo.