Article question

Maria, mi manca la mia famiglia.

I thought when it came to immediate family, we are not to use the article.  Can someone clarity please?

Hey PatK4. 🙌🏼 You're right to notice that family members usually don’t need an article before "mio," "mia," etc. Let’s break this down:

In Italian, when talking about singular, immediate family members, such as "mother" (madre), "father" (padre), "brother" (fratello), or "sister" (sorella), you generally omit the article. For example:
- Mia madre = My mother
- Mio padre = My father

However, there are exceptions to this rule:

1. Plural family members: When you're talking about more than one family member, you do use the article:
 - I miei fratelli = My brothers
 - Le mie sorelle = My sisters

2. Words like famiglia (family): When referring to the entire family or collective nouns like famiglia, the article is always used, even though it is still a family-related term. So, "la mia famiglia" is the correct way to say "my family":
 - La mia famiglia = My family

That’s why in your example, Maria, mi manca la mia famiglia ("Maria, I miss my family"), the article la is necessary.

Also, remember that if you’re using mamma or papà (the more affectionate forms for "mom" or "dad"), you do need the article, even in the singular:
- La mia mamma = My mom
- Il mio papà = My dad

This is a little nuance in Italian, but I hope that makes it clearer! 😊