"I eat with my aunt."

Translation: Mangio con mia zia.

[Cemeterri]

I was so distraught over this one I actually dug out my Italian textbook from college (Oggi In Italia, 6th edition). It states, "Possessive pronouns are generally preceded by the definite article. Use of the definite article is optional after 'essere.' The possessive pronoun 'loro' however, always requires the article." So, whereas it is not incorrect to leave "la" out here, it is also quite correct to have it in there. Preferred actually, I believe. :)

[Cemeterri]

Ah-ha! After a long discussion with friends in Italy via Facebook, I think I see the problem. One does NOT use the article when referring to relatives, for example, "mia zia," "mio padre," "mio fratello," etc. However, one DOES use the article with objects, such as "la mia casa," and "il mio conto in banca." Of course had I continued LOOKING in my textbook, I would have found that distinction...instead of just settling on the first thing I saw in the vain, blind effort to prove myself right. ;)

[mukkapazza]

Good job!

[Mahkizmo]

you can also say la mia mama or le mie zie, just to add more confusion for you. Don't ask me why, i checked it with my gf yesterday whos from Rome and also studied linguistics :P Really love the feeling when you think you got the hang of the logics of the italian grammar.

When you start to crawl up from the sea bottom someone throws you an ancor xD

[Nourakins]

Thank you! Been wondering how to know when to use the article :)

[DaRichta]

Thanks a lot !!

[Nihou]

Thanks for digging out your textbook. I was getting very confused as I had put "la" in and been marked wrong.

[philulie]

how do you define "immediate family" if an aunt is immediate family, why wouldn't a cousin be immediate family. la mia zia was marked as incorrect, whereas i miei cugini was marked correct

[redmoonrider]

If you were speaking of only one cousin, it wood be correct to leave out the article. When speaking of plural family members, the article is always used

[Drbling18]

My Italian friends tell me to learn the words first and not worry about the grammar so much. Hmmm, grammar in English, native language, started in 8th grade and you want us to know it in 2 months?? I am like a preschooler in the Italian language, just wanting to know more words.

[SebasFlowers]

I still don't understand when to use "con" and "col"

[s73f4n0]

When prepositions (always di a da in su, sometimes con per, but never tra fra) are followed by a definite article il lo la i gli le l' they are combined to form one word called "preposizioni articolate".

mandatory use:
del/dello/della/dei/degli/delle/dell'/
al/allo/alla/ai/agli/alle/all'/
dal/dallo/dalla/dai/dagli/dalle/dall'/
nel/nello/nella/nei/negli/nelle/nell'/
sul/sullo/sulla/sui/sugli/sulle/sull'/

rare:
col/-/-/coi/-/-/-/
-/-/-/pei/-/-/-/

unavailable with fra and tra

In our specific situation (words in parenthesis can be omitted):

la zia / lo zio / il nonno

• (io) mangio con la zia di Maria
• (io) mangio con (la) zia Francesca
• (io) mangio con mia zia (Francesca) <-- duolingo solution
• (io) mangio con la mia zia! rare
• (io) mangio con lo zio di Maria
• (io) mangio con (lo) zio Francesco
• (io) mangio con mio zio (Francesco)
• (io) mangio con il mio zio! rare
• (io) mangio con il nonno di Maria
• (io) mangio col nonno di Maria <-- con + il = col
• (io) mangio con (il) nonno Francesco
• (io) mangio con mio nonno (Francesco)
• (io) mangio con il mio nonno! rare

[Mahkizmo]

why isn't mangio con la mia zia correct? i know you can say la mia mama or le mie zie for example but why isn't la mia zia allowed?

Another thing someone maybe can explain to me about the i or gli forms when they are used.
For example pneumatisci can be either i or gli. It creates confusion.

[lewisfassero]

That's strange. I usually eat with a fork.

[cindi.cindi]

Why can't I just say "Mangio con..." Why do I have to include "io" unless I'm emphasizing that I'm the one eating with my aunt and not someone else is eating with her?

[Dr.Moir1]

"Mangio con la mia zia" CONSISTENCY! If you have to use the darn article, then make it an option, not mark it 'wrong.' What Cemeterri said!

[sandra463613]

would love to be able to change the font..hard to differentiate the l and L.

[IaisSimon]

I read:
I eat my aunt

[Dennis594481]

This exercise is so inconsistent. It is putting conjunction where it doesn't belong on some and taking out in others. It would be better not even to do this since I now know less now than I did when I started. The rule DUOLINGO IS CLOSE FAMILY Do Not have conjunction distant family and items do. Brother sister mom and dad only have no conjunction before pronoun.

[Mallinche]

when "mia zia" and when "la mia zia"... it's confusing!

[Colleen289785]

Still confused with this I decided to put in the article as it was a similar construction to something previously but this time wrong!