Learn Italian: Posso usare il tuo cellulare? - Can I use your mobile phone?

In Italian, when you use a modal verb like potere (can/to be able to), the main verb that follows it stays in the infinitive (the dictionary form ending in -are, -ere, or -ire). Here, posso is conjugated for "I", so the action verb usare stays in its base form.

Where is the word for "I" in this sentence?

It is built right into the verb! Posso is the "I" form of the irregular verb potere. In Italian, you usually drop subject pronouns like io (I) because the verb itself already tells the listener who is doing the action.

Why do we say il tuo cellulare instead of just tuo cellulare?

Unlike English, Italian requires a definite article like il (the) in front of possessive adjectives like tuo (your). Literally, you are saying "the your mobile phone". The main exception to this rule is with singular family members, but for everyday objects, always remember the article!

Does cellulare mean any kind of phone?

No, cellulare specifically means a "mobile phone" or "cellphone". If you are talking about a general telephone or a landline, you would just use the word telefono.