Breakdown of L'orfano è il loro cugino.
essere
to be
il cugino
the cousin
loro
their
l'orfano
the orphan (m)
Questions & Answers about L'orfano è il loro cugino.
Why is the definite article il used in il loro cugino? I thought singular family members didn't take the article with possessives.
You are remembering the general rule correctly! Usually, singular family members drop the definite article (for example, mio cugino). However, loro is a major exception to this rule. The possessive loro always keeps the definite article, even with singular family members.
Why doesn't loro change its ending to match the masculine singular noun cugino?
Unlike most other possessive adjectives (such as mio or tua), loro is invariable. It never changes its ending to match the gender or number of the noun it modifies. The definite article before it is what tells you the gender and number (for example, il loro, la loro, i loro, or le loro).
If we were talking about multiple cousins, would the rule for the article with loro change?
No, it stays completely consistent. Because loro always demands the definite article, you just make the article and noun plural: i loro cugini (their cousins). This is actually simpler than other possessives, where you have to drop the article in the singular but remember to add it back for the plural (like mio cugino versus i miei cugini).
If I wanted to say 'The (female) orphan is their cousin', how does the word l'orfano change?
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