Learn Italian: Mio padre non sa cucinare. - My father doesn't know how to cook.

You usually need a definite article (like il or la) before possessives in Italian. However, there is a special rule for family members! When you are talking about a singular, close family member (like padre, madre, or sorella), you drop the article. So it is just mio padre.

Where are the words for "how to" in non sa cucinare?

Italian doesn't use extra words for "how to" when talking about skills. You simply use the verb sapere (to know) followed directly by an infinitive verb (the base form of a verb, like cucinare). So, sa cucinare literally means "he knows to cook," which translates to "he knows how to cook."

Why use sa instead of conosce for "knows"?

Italian has two different verbs for "to know": sapere and conoscere. You use sapere for knowing facts or knowing how to do a skill (like cooking). You use conoscere when you are familiar with a person, a place, or a thing. Since we are talking about a skill here, sapere (conjugated here as sa) is the correct choice.

What happens to non when there is more than one verb in the sentence?