cuyo/cuya/cuyos/cuyas

Possessive Relative Cuyo

Level 3

Use cuyo/a/os/as to mean 'whose' and connect a possessor to what they own.

How It Works

Cuyo is the Spanish equivalent of the English relative pronoun 'whose'. It's used to link a noun (the possessor) to something it possesses within a relative clause. The most important rule to remember is that cuyo acts like an adjective and must agree in gender and number with the noun that follows it (the possessed item).

It has four forms:

  • cuyo: for masculine singular nouns
  • cuya: for feminine singular nouns
  • cuyos: for masculine plural nouns
  • cuyas: for feminine plural nouns

For example, in the phrase "the woman whose car is blue," 'car' (coche) is masculine singular, so you would use cuyo, even though the possessor ('woman', mujer) is feminine.

Example Breakdown:
La mujer, cuyo coche es azul...

  • Possessor: La mujer (feminine)
  • Possessed Item: coche (masculine singular)
  • Agreement: cuyo matches coche.

Cuyo is considered somewhat formal and is more common in written Spanish than in everyday conversation. In spoken language, people often rephrase the sentence to avoid it, for example, using "que su..." (that his/her...) or "del que/de la que...".

Examples (5)

  1. El hombre, cuyo coche es rojo, vive aquí.

    The man, whose car is red, lives here.

    Word by Word: The man, whose car is red, lives here.

    Cuyo is masculine singular because it agrees with 'coche' (car), not 'hombre' (man).

  2. La escritora, cuya novela ganó un premio, es muy famosa.

    The writer, whose novel won a prize, is very famous.

    Word by Word: The writer, whose novel won a prize, is very famous.

    Cuya is feminine singular because it agrees with 'novela' (novel), not 'escritora' (writer).

  3. Conozco al artista cuyos cuadros son impresionantes.

    I know the artist whose paintings are impressive.

    Word by Word: I know the artist whose paintings are impressive.

    Cuyos is masculine plural because it agrees with 'cuadros' (paintings).

  4. Esa es la familia cuyas hijas van a mi escuela.

    That is the family whose daughters go to my school.

    Word by Word: That is the family whose daughters go to my school.

    Cuyas is feminine plural because it agrees with 'hijas' (daughters).

  5. El edificio, en cuyas paredes hay murales, es histórico.

    The building, on whose walls there are murals, is historic.

    Word by Word: The building, on whose walls there are murals, is historic.

    Cuyas agrees with the feminine plural noun 'paredes' (walls), even when a preposition like 'en' comes before it.

Common Mistakes

  • Making 'cuyo' agree with the possessor instead of the possessed noun.

    La mujer, cuya perro es grande, camina por el parque.
    La mujer, cuyo perro es grande, camina por el parque.

    The pronoun must agree with 'perro' (masculine singular), so 'cuyo' is correct. It does not agree with the possessor, 'mujer' (feminine).

  • Using 'de quién' instead of 'cuyo' in a relative clause.

    El chico, de quién padre es médico, es mi amigo.
    El chico, cuyo padre es médico, es mi amigo.

    '¿De quién?' is a question phrase ('Whose?'). To connect clauses, you must use the relative pronoun 'cuyo'.

How It Connects

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

cuyo/cuya/cuyos/cuyasLevel 3Possessive Relative Cuyo

Learn This First

To learn 'cuyo', you first need to understand how Spanish adjectives agree with nouns in gender and number, as 'cuyo' changes form based on the object owned. You also need a solid grasp of possession and how relative pronouns function to connect ideas in complex sentences.

Words in This Pattern

cuyo