seu/sua/seus/suas

Possessive Third Person and Formal

Level 1

The words seu, sua, seus, and suas indicate possession. They change based on the gender and number of the object being owned, not the person who owns it.

How It Works

1. Agreement Rule
The most important rule is that the possessive must match the thing owned, not the owner:

  • Seu: Masculine singular (seu livro - his/her/their/your book)
  • Sua: Feminine singular (sua casa - his/her/their/your house)
  • Seus: Masculine plural (seus livros)
  • Suas: Feminine plural (suas casas)

2. Regional Differences
In Brazil, seu/sua is the safest default for 'your'. However, teu/tua is very common in the South and Northeast. In Portugal, the distinction is stricter: seu/sua is used only for formal address with o senhor or você, while teu/tua is the standard for informal address (tu).

3. Addressing Groups (Plural 'Your')
To say 'your' when talking to a group, Portugal uses vosso/vossa. In Brazil, speakers typically use seu/sua or the phrase de vocês after the noun.

4. The Article Requirement
In European Portuguese, you almost always need a definite article before the possessive (o seu carro). In Brazil, this is optional and often dropped (seu carro).

5. Avoiding Ambiguity
Because seu can mean so many things, if it's not clear who the owner is, speakers use dele (of him) or dela (of her) after the noun instead. Note: Unlike seu, these forms agree with the owner, not the object (e.g., o carro dela = her car; a casa dele = his house).

Examples (4)

  1. O João vendeu o seu carro.

    João sold his car.

    Word by Word: The João sold the his car.

    Here, 'seu' agrees with 'carro' (masculine singular). In this context, it refers to João's car.

  2. Maria, eu gosto da sua blusa.

    Maria, I like your blouse.

    Word by Word: Maria, I like of-the your blouse.

    In Brazil, 'sua' is the most common way to say 'your' when talking to someone.

  3. Eles esqueceram as suas chaves.

    They forgot their keys.

    Word by Word: They forgot the their keys.

    'Suas' is feminine plural to match 'chaves' (keys), even though the owners (eles) are masculine.

  4. O senhor aceita o seu café?

    Do you (formal) want your coffee?

    Word by Word: The gentleman accepts the his coffee?

    In formal speech, 'seu' is used to address the person you are talking to respectfully.

Common Mistakes

  • Matching the gender of the owner instead of the object.

    A Maria e o sua irmão.
    A Maria e o seu irmão.

    Even though Maria is a woman, 'brother' (irmão) is masculine, so you must use 'seu'.

  • Using 'seu' when 'his/her' is ambiguous.

    Eu vi o seu pai (meaning 'his father' while talking to a friend).
    Eu vi o pai dele.

    If you say 'seu pai' to a friend, they will think you mean 'your father'. Use 'dele' to clarify you mean 'his'.

How It Connects

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

seu/sua/seus/suasLevel 1Possessive Third Person and Formal

Learn This First

To use 'seu/sua/seus/suas' correctly, you must first understand how nouns in Portuguese have gender and number, as these possessive adjectives change their form to match the noun they modify. Additionally, you need to understand the third-person and formal second-person subject pronouns to identify the owner.

Words in This Pattern

seuseu