Possessives
Mi, tu, su, nuestro, and mío.
| Before a noun | After a noun, or alone | |
|---|---|---|
| my | mi, mis | mío, mía, míos, mías |
| your (tú) | tu, tus | tuyo, tuya... |
| his, her, its, your (usted) | su, sus | suyo, suya... |
| our | nuestro, nuestra, nuestros, nuestras | the same |
| your (vosotros) | vuestro, vuestra, vuestros, vuestras | the same |
| their, your (ustedes) | su, sus | suyo, suya... |
The possessive agrees with the thing owned, not the owner: mis libros "my books", nuestra casa "our house", nuestros hijos "our children". mi, tu and su have no feminine; nuestro and vuestro do.
- My sister lives in Valencia.
- Where are your keys?
- Our house is small.
Su: his, her, your or their
su can mean his, her, its, their, or polite "your". Context usually tells; to be clear, use de with a pronoun after the noun:
- his car
- her car
- Is this your suitcase, madam?
Mine, yours
The long forms come after a noun, or alone after ser or the article:
- He's a friend of mine.
- This suitcase is mine.
- Your house is bigger than mine.
No possessive for the body
With parts of the body and clothes, Spanish usually says "the", since the person is already clear: Me duele la cabeza "My head hurts", Ponte el abrigo "Put your coat on".
Cards from this guide
9 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Nouns and describing words cards.
Which possessive goes with libros for 'my books'?
mis: mis libros.
How do you say 'our house'?
nuestra casa
What can su mean?
His, her, its, their, or polite 'your'.
How do you make clear that su coche means 'her car'?
Say el coche de ella.
How do you say 'this suitcase is mine'?
Esta maleta es mía.
How do you say 'a friend of mine'?
un amigo mío
How do you say 'yours is bigger than mine'?
El tuyo es más grande que el mío.
How do you say 'my head hurts'?
Me duele la cabeza.
Does mi have a feminine form, as in 'my sister'?
No: mi hermana.