to an adjective: intelligente ("intelligent"), intelligentissimo ("very intelligent"); sporco ("dirty") sporchissimo ("very dirty"). If the two letters before the last vowel are pr or br (e.g., aspro, celebre), the r is removed and -errimo is the suffix used (asperrimo, celeberrimo) ("very sour", "very famous"). Another way to form the absolute superlative is to place either molto or assai ("very") before the adjective. For instance sporchissimo and molto sporco ("very dirty") are the same, although the form ending in issimo is usually perceived as more emphatic; that is, sporchissimo is dirtier than molto sporco. Some adjectives have irregular comparatives (though with regularly-formed variants also in common use), like buono ("good"), migliore / più buono ("better" or "best"), migliore / ottimo / buonissimo ("very good") cattivo ("bad"), peggiore / più cattivo ("worse" or "worst"), pessimo / cattivissimo ("very bad") grande ("big"), maggiore / più grande ("bigger"), massimo / grandissimo ("very big") piccolo ("small"), minore / più piccolo ("smaller"), minimo / piccolissimo ("very small") Possessive adjectives With the exception of 3rd person plural loro 'their', possessive adjectives, like articles, must agree with the gender and number of the noun they modify. Hence, mio zio (my uncle), but mia zia (my aunt). So depending on what is being modified, the possessive adjectives are: In most cases the possessive adjective is used with an article, usually the definite article: And sometimes with the indefinite article: The only exception is when the possessive refers to an individual family member (unless the family member is described or characterized in some way): Mamma and papà (or babbo, in Central Italy; "mother" and "father"), however, are usually used with the article. For emphasis, however, possessive adjectives are sometimes placed after the noun. This is usually after words like 'colpa' (fault, sin); 'casa' (house, home); 'merito' (merit); 'piacere' (pleasure); or in vocative expressions. If the antecedent of a third person possessive (being used as an object) is the subject of the sentence, proprio can be used instead of suo,<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.accademiadellacrusca.it/faq/faq_risp.php?id=7689&ctg_id=45 |title=Accademia della Crusca, Impiego di Proprio e Suo' |access-date=2009-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720031553/http://www.accademiadellacrusca.it/faq/faq_risp.php?id=7689&ctg_id=45 |archive-date=2011-07-20 |url-status=dead }}</ref> though the usage of proprio is declining in spoken language: The first sentence is unambiguous and states that Marco took his own point of view, whereas the second sentence is ambiguous because it may mean that Marco took either his own or Maria's point of view. Demonstrative adjectives Italian originally had three degrees of demonstrative adjectives: