Possessive Adjectives in Spanish

Overview

Possessive adjectives tell you who something belongs to: "my," "your," "his," "her," "our," and "their." In Spanish, these are the short-form possessives that go before the noun, and at the A1 level they are essential for talking about family, belongings, routines, and relationships. You will use them in nearly every conversation.

Spanish possessive adjectives agree with the thing being possessed, not with the possessor. This is a key difference from English. For example, su libro means "his book," "her book," "your book (formal)," or "their book." The form su does not tell you who the owner is; it simply matches the noun (libro) in number. Only nuestro and vuestro also show gender agreement.

How It Works

Short-form possessive adjectives

Person	Singular noun	Plural noun
yo	mi	mis
tú	tu	tus
él / ella / usted	su	sus
nosotros/as	nuestro / nuestra	nuestros / nuestras
vosotros/as	vuestro / vuestra	vuestros / vuestras
ellos / ellas / ustedes	su	sus

Key points

• Mi, tu, su only change for number (singular/plural), not for gender.
• Nuestro and vuestro change for both gender and number.
• Su/sus is ambiguous. It can mean "his," "her," "its," "your (formal)," or "their." Context usually makes the meaning clear. For emphasis or clarity, you can use de él, de ella, de usted, de ellos:
  • su libro → el libro de ella (her book, clarified)

Possessives with family and relationships

Spanish	English
mi madre	my mother
tu hermano	your brother
su esposa	his/her wife
nuestros hijos	our children
vuestras amigas	your (all's) friends (feminine)
sus padres	their parents

Examples in Context

Spanish	English	Note
mi libro	my book	Singular possession
tu casa	your house	Informal singular
sus amigos	his/her/their friends	Ambiguous without context
nuestra familia	our family	Feminine agreement
mis llaves	my keys	Plural possession
vuestro perro	your (all's) dog	Spain, informal plural
su coche es rojo	his/her car is red	Context determines possessor
nuestros vecinos son simpáticos	our neighbors are nice	Masculine plural
tus ideas son buenas	your ideas are good	Plural
¿Dónde están mis gafas?	Where are my glasses?	Common question

Common Mistakes

Making mi/tu/su agree with gender

• Wrong: ma casa or mia casa
• Right: mi casa
• Why: Mi, tu, and su do not change for gender. They only change for number: mi → mis, tu → tus, su → sus.

Confusing tu (possessive) with tú (pronoun)

• Wrong: Using tú (with accent) as a possessive
• Right: tu casa (no accent) vs. tú eres (with accent)
• Why: Tu (no accent) = your. Tú (with accent) = you. The accent makes a difference.

Using possessives with body parts in reflexive constructions

• Wrong: Me lavo mis manos.
• Right: Me lavo las manos.
• Why: When using reflexive verbs with body parts, Spanish uses the definite article instead of a possessive adjective. The reflexive pronoun already shows who the body part belongs to.

Not clarifying ambiguous "su"

• Wrong: Assuming everyone will know who su refers to
• Right: Add de él/ella/usted/ellos when the context is unclear
• Why: Su can mean many things. In ambiguous situations, clarify: El libro de ella instead of just su libro.

Practice Tips

• Talk about your family. Practice introducing family members: Mi madre se llama..., mi hermano tiene..., mis abuelos viven en...
• Describe your belongings. Point to things and claim them: mi teléfono, mis zapatos, mi mochila. Then describe a friend's things: tu mochila, tus libros.
• Practice nuestro/nuestra specifically. Since these are the only possessives with gender agreement, give them extra attention: nuestro coche, nuestra casa, nuestros amigos, nuestras vacaciones.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Definite Articles