mi/tu/su/nuestro/vuestro

Possessive Adjectives

Foundations

Words like 'mi' (my), 'tu' (your), and 'su' (his/her/their) show ownership. They are placed before the noun.

How It Works

These prenominal possessives go before a noun and show possession or a relationship, such as mi hermano. Spanish also has postnominal forms such as mío and tuyo, which are outside this introductory pattern.

Each possessive adjective corresponds to a subject pronoun, which represents the 'owner'.

Singular Possessors:

  • mi - my (from 'yo')
  • tu - your (informal, from 'tú' or usually 'vos')
  • su - his, her, its, your (formal, from él, ella, usted)

Plural Possessors:

  • nuestro/a - our (from 'nosotros/as')
  • vuestro/a - your (plural informal, from 'vosotros/as')
  • su - their, your (plural, from ellos, ellas, ustedes)

Important Concepts:
1. Agreement: The forms nuestro and vuestro must change to match the gender of the noun they describe (e.g., 'nuestro libro' but 'nuestra casa'). All possessive adjectives add an -s for plural nouns (e.g., 'mi libro' vs. 'mis libros'). This follows the general rules of adjective agreement.

2. 'Su' can be ambiguous: Since 'su' can mean his, her, their, or your, you often need to rely on context to understand who the owner is.

3. 'Tu' vs. 'Tú': Be careful! Tu (without an accent) means 'your'. 'Tú' (with an accent) means 'you'.

Singular su versus plural sus tells you about the following noun, not the number of possessors. Su hermano can mean his, her, their, your formal, or your plural brother. If needed, clarify with de él, de ella, de ellos, or de usted. Mi also has no accent as a possessive; mí is a different pronoun.

Examples (6)

  1. Mi casa es azul.

    My house is blue.

    Word by Word: My house is blue.

  2. ¿Es tu coche nuevo?

    Is your car new?

    Word by Word: Is your car new?

  3. Su hermano es mi amigo.

    His/Her/Their/Your brother is my friend.

    Word by Word: His/Her/Their/Your brother is my friend.

  4. Nuestra familia vive en México.

    Our family lives in Mexico.

    Word by Word: Our family lives in Mexico.

    Notice 'nuestra' is used because 'familia' is a feminine noun.

  5. Vuestros libros están en la mesa.

    Your (plural, informal) books are on the table.

    Word by Word: Your books are on the table.

    Vuestros belongs mainly to the vosotros form of plural address in Spain. Other varieties ordinarily use sus for ustedes.

  6. Sus padres son de Argentina.

    Their/Your (plural) parents are from Argentina.

    Word by Word: Their/Your parents are from Argentina.

    Sus is plural because padres is plural. The possessors may be his, her, their, your formal singular, or your plural; the possessive ending does not determine how many possessors there are.

Common Mistakes

  • Confusing 'tu' (your) with 'tú' (you).

    Tú libro está aquí.
    Tu libro está aquí.

    'Tú' with an accent mark is a subject pronoun meaning 'you'. The possessive adjective 'your' is 'tu' without an accent mark.

  • Forgetting to make 'nuestro' and 'vuestro' agree with the noun's gender.

    Nuestro casa es grande.
    Nuestra casa es grande.

    The possessive adjective must agree in gender with the noun it describes. Since 'casa' is feminine, you must use 'nuestra'.

  • Forgetting to add '-s' for plural nouns.

    Mi amigos son simpáticos.
    Mis amigos son simpáticos.

    If the noun is plural ('amigos'), the possessive adjective must also be plural. Add an '-s' to 'mi', 'tu', and 'su'.

How It Connects

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mi/tu/su/nuestro/vuestroFoundationsPossessive Adjectives

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Words in This Pattern

tusunuestrovuestro