meu/minha/teu/tua/seu/sua
Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, etc.) are used to show who something belongs to. In Portuguese, these words change their form to match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the item being possessed.
How It Works
To become confident with possessives, you need to understand these key points:
- Agreement: The possessive must match the noun possessed, not the owner. For example, meus livros (plural) or minha mesa (feminine).
- The Full System: The system includes meu (my), teu (informal your), seu (formal your/his/her/their), nosso (our), and vosso (plural your, mainly in Portugal).
- Regional Usage: In Portugal, teu is strictly informal and seu is formal. In Brazil, seu is the standard 'your', while teu is used regionally (South, Northeast, and Rio de Janeiro).
- Articles: In Portugal, you usually use a definite article (o meu livro), but it is dropped after the verb ser (Este livro é meu), in vocatives (Meu filho!), and fixed phrases (Em minha opinião). In Brazil, the article is optional.
- Clarity: Because seu/sua can mean 'your', 'his', 'her', or 'their', speakers often use dele/dela/deles/delas to avoid confusion. These forms always follow the noun (o carro dela) and agree with the gender of the owner, not the object.
- Body Parts: Portuguese avoids possessives for body parts when the owner is obvious, using articles instead (Lavo as mãos).
Examples (4)
- O meu pai mora em Lisboa.
My father lives in Lisbon.
Word by Word: The my father lives in Lisbon.
This shows the European Portuguese style using the definite article 'o' before 'meu'.
- Você viu minha chave?
Have you seen my key?
Word by Word: You saw my key?
In Brazilian Portuguese, the article is often dropped. 'Minha' is feminine to match 'chave'.
- Os meus livros são novos.
My books are new.
Word by Word: The my books are new.
Here, 'meus' is plural to agree with 'livros'.
- A sua ideia é excelente.
Your/His/Her idea is excellent.
Word by Word: The your/his/her idea is excellent.
'Sua' is feminine to match 'ideia', but the owner could be 'you', 'him', or 'her'.
Common Mistakes
Using possessives for body parts when the owner is clear.
Eu lavo minhas mãos.Eu lavo as mãos.In Portuguese, it is more natural to use a definite article instead of a possessive for body parts when the action is performed on oneself.
Matching the possessive to the speaker's gender instead of the object's gender.
O homem diz: 'Meu mesa.'O homem diz: 'Minha mesa.'Even if the speaker is male, 'mesa' is a feminine noun, so you must use 'minha'.
Using 'seu' for 'his/her/their' in a way that causes confusion with 'your'.
Eu vi a sua mãe (meaning his mother).Eu vi a mãe dele.In many regions, 'sua mãe' sounds like 'your mother'. Use dele/dela/deles/delas to clearly mean 'his', 'her', or 'their'.
How It Connects
Related Patterns
- Possessive Agreement Rule
This is the core rule explaining how possessives change based on the noun's gender and number.
Level 1 - dele/dela/deles/delasClarifying Seu/Sua with De
These forms are used to avoid the ambiguity of 'seu/sua' when referring to third parties.
Level 2 - o meu carro/a minha casaDefinite Article with Possessive
Explains the specific rules and regional variations for using articles before possessives.
Level 2 - nosso/nossa/nossos/nossasPossessive First Person Plural
The possessive forms used for 'our'.
Level 1 - vosso/vossa/vossos/vossasPossessive Second Person Plural
The possessive forms used for 'your' (plural) in European Portuguese.
Level 2 - tu / vocêTu vs. Você
The choice between 'teu' and 'seu' depends on whether you address someone as 'tu' or 'você'.
Level 1
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Patterns that build on this one.
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Practice meu/minha/teu/tua/seu/sua in Bubblegum
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