o seu / a súa
His, Her and Their: Seu and Súa
O seu, a súa, os seus and as súas can mean his, her, its, their or formal your. The form changes with the thing owned, never with the owner.
How It Works
The forms. o seu coche, a súa casa, os seus fillos, as súas chaves.
Many owners, one word. Seu can mean:
- his or her: Ana vive co seu irmán (Ana lives with her brother).
- its or their: Os nenos xogan cos seus cans (The children play with their dogs).
- your, to someone you call vostede or vostedes: Este é o seu café, señora. See ti and vostede and vós and vostedes.
Agree with the thing owned. In Ana lava o seu coche, the owner is a woman, but coche is masculine, so the form is seu.
Making it clear. A súa filla estuda en Vigo could mean his, her, their or your daughter. If that matters, put the owner after the noun: a filla dela (her daughter), a filla deles (their daughter), a filla de vostede (your daughter). See clarifying seu with del and dela.
Spelling. Súa and súas always have a written accent, and Galician has no short form like Spanish su: say o seu or a súa, with the article.
Examples (6)
- Ana vive co seu irmán.
Ana lives with her brother.
Co is con + o. Seu is masculine because irmán is.
- Xoán busca a súa chave.
Xoán is looking for his key.
Súa is feminine because chave is, even though Xoán is a man.
- Os nenos xogan cos seus cans.
The children are playing with their dogs.
- Este é o seu café, señora.
This is your coffee, madam.
Seu means your here because the speaker addresses her as vostede.
- Vostedes teñen os seus billetes?
Do you have your tickets?
Vostedes also takes seu.
- A súa filla estuda en Vigo.
His daughter studies in Vigo.
Without context, this could also mean her, their or your daughter.
Common Mistakes
Choosing seu or súa by the owner's gender.
Ana lava a súa coche.Ana lava o seu coche.The owner, Ana, is a woman, but coche is masculine, so the form is o seu.
Using the Spanish short form su.
Vostede ten su pasaporte?Vostede ten o seu pasaporte?Galician has no form su. Use o seu or a súa, with the article.
Using teu with someone you call vostede.
Señora, vostede esqueceu o teu paraugas.Señora, vostede esqueceu o seu paraugas.Vostede takes third-person forms, so the possessive is seu or súa. Teu goes with ti.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Seu and súa extend the possessive pattern to third-person and formal-you owners.
Related Patterns
- a casa delaClarifying Seu with Del and Dela
Del and dela make the owner clear when seu is ambiguous.
Level 3 - o noso / a nosa / o voso / a vosaOur and Your: Noso and Voso
The possessives for our and plural your.
Level 1 - ti / vostedeInformal Ti and Formal Vostede
Vostede takes seu, while ti takes teu.
Level 1 - vós / vostedesPlural You: Vós and Vostedes
Vostedes also takes seu, while vós takes voso.
Level 1 - con + o = coContractions of Con with the Article
Co and coa often come right before seu and súa.
Level 1
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice o seu / a súa in Bubblegum
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