What are Possessive Adjectives?
Spanish possessive adjectives indicate ownership or relationship between the speaker and a noun. They answer the question "whose?" and must agree with the noun they modify (not with the owner).
Important: Spanish possessive adjectives agree with the thing possessed, not the possessor. This is different from English, where we choose based on who owns something.
Examples
Es mi libro.
It's my book.
Nuestra casa es grande.
Our house is big.
Sus hijos son inteligentes.
His/her/their children are intelligent.
Short Form Possessive Adjectives
The short forms are the most common possessive adjectives in Spanish. They go before the noun and some agree with gender and number.
Forms of Possessive Adjectives
Here are all the short forms with their agreement patterns:
Short Form Possessive Adjectives
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| mi (my) | mi, mi, mis, mis | my (invariable for gender) |
| tu (your - informal) | tu, tu, tus, tus | your (invariable for gender) |
| su (his/her/your formal) | su, su, sus, sus | his/her/your (invariable for gender) |
| nuestro (our) | nuestro, nuestra, nuestros, nuestras | our (agrees in gender & number) |
| vuestro (your - plural) | vuestro, vuestra, vuestros, vuestras | your plural (agrees in gender & number) |
| su (their/your formal pl.) | su, su, sus, sus | their/your (invariable for gender) |
mi hermano, mi hermana
my brother, my sister
nuestro padre, nuestra madre
our father, our mother
sus libros, sus casas
his/her/their books, his/her/their houses
Agreement Rules
Key Agreement Rules:
1. Mi, tu, su only agree in number (singular/plural), not gender
2. Nuestro, vuestro agree in both gender and number
3. The adjective agrees with the thing possessed, not the owner
mi casa, mis casas (feminine noun, but mi doesn't change)
my house, my houses
nuestro coche (masc.), nuestra bicicleta (fem.)
our car, our bicycle
María habla con su madre (María is female, but su doesn't change)
María talks with her mother
Individual Possessive Adjectives
Let's examine each possessive adjective in detail:
Mi (My)
Mi is invariable for gender - it's the same whether the noun is masculine or feminine. Only changes for number:
mi padre (masculine)
my father
mi madre (feminine)
my mother
mis padres (plural)
my parents
mis hermanas (plural)
my sisters
Tu (Your - informal)
Tu refers to one person you know well (informal "you"). Like mi, it only agrees in number:
⚠️ Note: Don't confuse tu (your) with tú (you). Tu has no accent mark.
tu hermano
your brother
tu hermana
your sister
tus amigos
your friends
¿Dónde están tus llaves?
Where are your keys?
Su (His, Her, Your formal, Their)
Su is the most complex possessive adjective because it can mean:
- his (de él)
- her (de ella)
- your formal (de usted)
- their (de ellos/ellas)
- your plural formal (de ustedes)
Context usually makes the meaning clear:
Juan busca su libro. (his book)
Juan looks for his book.
María ama a su familia. (her family)
María loves her family.
¿Cuál es su nombre? (your name - formal)
What is your name?
Los estudiantes tienen sus libros. (their books)
The students have their books.
Nuestro (Our)
Nuestro agrees in both gender and number with the possessed noun:
Nuestro Forms
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | nuestro | our (masc. sing.) |
| Feminine singular | nuestra | our (fem. sing.) |
| Masculine plural | nuestros | our (masc. pl.) |
| Feminine plural | nuestras | our (fem. pl.) |
nuestro perro
our dog
nuestra casa
our house
nuestros hijos
our children
nuestras ideas
our ideas
Vuestro (Your - plural informal)
Vuestro is used in Spain for informal "your" when talking to multiple people. Like nuestro, it agrees in gender and number:
Note: In Latin America, su is used instead of vuestro.
Vuestro Forms
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | vuestro | your pl. (masc. sing.) |
| Feminine singular | vuestra | your pl. (fem. sing.) |
| Masculine plural | vuestros | your pl. (masc. pl.) |
| Feminine plural | vuestras | your pl. (fem. pl.) |
vuestro coche (Spain)
your (plural) car
vuestra casa (Spain)
your (plural) house
su coche (Latin America)
your (plural) car
Clarifying Su - Avoiding Ambiguity
Since su can mean "his," "her," "your," or "their," it can sometimes be ambiguous. Spanish offers ways to clarify:
Using Prepositional Phrases
To clarify who the owner is, you can use de + pronoun:
el libro de él (his book)
his book (clarifying)
el libro de ella (her book)
her book (clarifying)
el libro de usted (your book - formal)
your book (clarifying)
el libro de ellos (their book - masculine group)
their book (clarifying)
When Clarification is Needed
Clarification is most needed when:
1. Multiple possible owners are mentioned
2. Formal/polite situations where precision matters
3. Emphasis is desired
Juan y María están aquí. El coche de él es rojo.
Juan and María are here. His car is red. (clarifying whose car)
¿Es este el bolso de usted?
Is this your purse? (formal, clarifying)
Common Mistakes and Tips
Here are frequent errors to avoid with possessive adjectives:
1. Wrong agreement:
❌ *nuestra padre* → ✅ nuestro padre
2. Confusing tu (your) with tú (you):
❌ *tú libro* → ✅ tu libro
3. Overusing clarification:
Usually su is clear from context - only clarify when truly ambiguous.
4. Forgetting that agreement is with the possessed noun:
Remember: mi hermana (my sister) - mi agrees with hermana, not with "I"
Examples
Nuestro profesor es muy bueno.
Our teacher is very good. (profesor is masculine)
Tu hermana es simpática.
Your sister is nice. (no accent on tu)
María tiene su libro. (context makes it clear = her book)
María has her book.
Long Form Possessive Adjectives
Spanish also has long forms that go after the noun and are used for emphasis or in certain expressions. These are less common but important to recognize:
Long forms: mío, tuyo, suyo, nuestro, vuestro (all agree in gender and number)
These are typically used:
- For emphasis
- After the verb ser
- In exclamations
Examples
un amigo mío
a friend of mine
¡Dios mío!
My God!
El libro es tuyo.
The book is yours.
Esta casa es nuestra.
This house is ours.