de meu / de seu

Of One's Own: De Meu and De Seu

Level 4

De + meu, teu, seu, noso, voso means of one's own or by nature: Ten casa de seu (she has a house of her own).

How It Works

The form

de + meu, teu, seu, noso, voso. The possessive does not agree with anything. It is always masculine singular:

  • Ten casa de seu (casa is feminine, but it is still seu).
  • Temos tres casas de noso (plural, but still noso).

Meaning 1: of one's own

It stresses that something truly belongs to someone: Non teñen terras de seu, traballan as doutros (they have no land of their own; they work other people's). Quero un cuarto de meu (I want a room of my own).

Meaning 2: by nature, by itself

It describes what someone or something is like in itself: É calado de seu (he is quiet by nature), Esta nena é lista de seu (this girl is naturally clever). With a verb it can mean on its own: Algúns problemas arránxanse de seu (some problems sort themselves out).

Compare the ordinary possessive. In o seu, a súa the possessive agrees with the thing: a súa casa. In de seu, it does not. See also possessives after the noun.

Examples (6)

  1. Ten casa de seu.

    She has a house of her own.

    Seu stays masculine even though casa is feminine.

  2. Non temos coche de noso.

    We do not have a car of our own.

  3. Quero un cuarto de meu.

    I want a room of my own.

  4. É calado de seu.

    He is quiet by nature.

    Here de seu means by nature.

  5. Esta nena é lista de seu.

    This girl is naturally clever.

  6. Algúns problemas arránxanse de seu.

    Some problems sort themselves out.

    With a verb, de seu can mean on its own.

Common Mistakes

  • Making the possessive feminine.

    Ten casa de súa.
    Ten casa de seu.

    In this phrase the possessive never changes: always de seu.

  • Making the possessive plural.

    Temos tres casas de nosas.
    Temos tres casas de noso.

    The possessive stays masculine singular: de noso.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

de meu / de seuLevel 4Of One's Own: De Meu and De Seu

Learn This First

De meu and de seu use fixed masculine singular possessive forms for ownership or inherent character.

Words in This Pattern

de seumeu