Italian - Relative possessives (il cui, la cui, i cui, le cui)

To express "whose" as a relative pronoun connecting two clauses, Italian uses cui combined with a definite article.

Unlike in English, the Italian equivalent is formed with a definite article (il, la, i, le) + cui.

The definite article must agree in gender and number with the thing being possessed, NOT the owner. The word order is always:

[Possessor] + [Definite Article] + cui + [Possessed Noun]

If the possessed noun is masculine singular (like il tronco), use il cui:

That tree, whose trunk is very big, is in the botanical garden.

The greenhouse, whose glass is broken, is closed.

If the possessed noun is masculine plural (like i petali), use i cui:

The orchid, whose petals are yellow, is an exotic flower.

The bushes, whose branches hide the trunk, are green.

For feminine nouns, use la cui (singular) or le cui (plural):

The tropical plant, whose leaves are red, grows in the greenhouse.

I visit the botanical garden, whose plants are rare.

Notice that cui itself never changes. Only the definite article shifts to match the noun immediately following it.

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