meu/minha/meus/minhas

Possessive First Person Singular

Level 1

meu (masc. sing.) / minha (fem. sing.) / meus (masc. plur.) / minhas (fem. plur.)

How It Works

Portuguese possessives are more complex than English ones because they must agree with the noun they modify and follow specific placement rules.

1. Agreement Rules
Unlike English, where 'my' never changes, Portuguese possessives change based on the gender and number of the object owned:

  • Meu: Masculine singular (meu livro).
  • Minha: Feminine singular (minha casa).
  • Meus: Masculine plural (meus amigos).
  • Minhas: Feminine plural (minhas chaves).

2. 'My' vs. 'Mine'
The same words are used for both possessive adjectives ('my book') and possessive pronouns ('the book is mine'). In European Portuguese, the definite article is usually mandatory for the pronoun form (O livro é o meu).

3. The Role of Articles
In European Portuguese, using an article before the possessive is the standard default (o meu pai). In Brazilian Portuguese, it is optional. However, there are two critical rules:

  • Direct Address (Vocative): Never use an article when calling someone (Meu filho, venha aqui!).
  • Emphasis after 'Ser': Using ser without an article is a plain statement of ownership (É meu). Adding the article (É o meu) creates a contrastive meaning: 'It is the mine' (not yours).

4. Body Parts and Clothing
Unlike English, Portuguese rarely uses possessives for body parts or clothing when the owner is clear. Instead, use a definite article.
Example: Lavo as mãos (I wash my hands).

5. Post-Noun Position
Placing the possessive after the noun often implies 'one of many' or 'of mine'.
Example: Um amigo meu (A friend of mine).

6. Contractions
When using the article, it contracts with prepositions like de or em:

  • de + o meu = do meu
  • em + a minha = na minha

Examples (5)

  1. O meu carro é azul.

    My car is blue.

    Word by Word: The my car is blue.

    Uses 'meu' because 'carro' is masculine singular. The article 'o' is standard in EP and formal BP.

  2. Minha irmã mora em Lisboa.

    My sister lives in Lisbon.

    Word by Word: My sister lives in Lisbon.

    Uses 'minha' because 'irmã' is feminine singular. This 'bare' form is common in casual Brazilian Portuguese.

  3. Estes livros são meus.

    These books are mine.

    Word by Word: These books are mine.

    Uses 'meus' to match the masculine plural noun 'livros'. Here it functions as 'mine'.

  4. Eu gosto das minhas chaves novas.

    I like my new keys.

    Word by Word: I like of-the my keys new.

    Shows the contraction 'das' (de + as) used before 'minhas' because 'chaves' is feminine plural.

  5. Onde estão os meus óculos?

    Where are my glasses?

    Word by Word: Where are the my glasses?

    Uses 'meus' because 'óculos' is a masculine plural noun.

Common Mistakes

  • Matching the possessive to the speaker's gender instead of the object's gender.

    Eu sou homem, então digo 'meu caneta'.
    Eu sou homem, mas digo 'minha caneta'.

    Even if the speaker is male, they must use 'minha' because 'caneta' (pen) is a feminine noun.

  • Using possessives for body parts where an article is more natural.

    Eu lavei minhas mãos.
    Eu lavei as mãos.

    In Portuguese, it is more natural to use the definite article (as) for body parts unless you need to emphasize whose hands they are.

  • Forgetting to contract prepositions when an article is present.

    Eu moro em a minha casa.
    Eu moro na minha casa.

    When the article 'a' is used with 'minha', it must merge with the preposition 'em' to become 'na'.

How It Connects

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

meu/minha/meus/minhasLevel 1Possessive First Person Singular

Learn This First

To use 'meu/minha/meus/minhas' correctly, you must first understand that Portuguese nouns have gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural), as the possessive adjective must change its form to match the noun it describes.

Words in This Pattern

meumeumeu