Ho il naso chiuso e mi fa male la gola.

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Breakdown of Ho il naso chiuso e mi fa male la gola.

• avere: to have
• e: and
• mi: me

Questions & Answers about Ho il naso chiuso e mi fa male la gola.

Why does the sentence start with ho?

Because ho is the first-person singular of avere: io ho = I have.

In Italian, it is very common to use avere with physical conditions, especially with body parts:

• Ho il naso chiuso = literally, I have the nose closed
• Ho la febbre = I have a fever
• Ho mal di testa = I have a headache

So ho is the natural choice here.

Why is it il naso and not mio naso?

In Italian, with body parts, people usually use the definite article instead of a possessive adjective when the owner is already clear.

So Italian prefers:

• Mi fa male la gola
• Ho il naso chiuso

rather than:

• La mia gola mi fa male
• Ho il mio naso chiuso

English says my throat and my nose, but Italian normally says the throat and the nose in these situations.

What does chiuso mean here?