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- Dec 10, 2025
- 2 min read
In Spanish, possessive adjectives are used to show ownership or relationship. They agree in number (and sometimes gender) with the noun being possessed, not with the owner.
1️⃣ Types of Possessive Adjectives
There are two types:
Short-form (before the noun) → most common
Long-form (after the noun) → used for emphasis or contrast
2️⃣ Short-Form Possessive Adjectives (Before the Noun)
These do NOT change for gender, only for singular vs. plural.
Owner | Singular | Plural |
my | mi | mis |
your (tú) | tu | tus |
his / her / your (usted) | su | sus |
our | nuestro / nuestra | nuestros / nuestras |
your (vosotros) | vuestro / vuestra | vuestros / vuestras |
their / your (ustedes) | su | sus |
✅ Examples
mi libro (my book)
mis libros (my books)
tu casa (your house)
sus amigos (his/her/their friends)
nuestra escuela (our school)
nuestros maestros (our teachers)
📌 Key rule:
The possessive adjective agrees with the noun owned, not the person who owns it.
3️⃣ Long-Form Possessive Adjectives (After the Noun)
These agree in BOTH gender and number and are often used for clarity or emphasis.
Owner | Masculine Singular | Feminine Singular | Masculine Plural | Feminine Plural |
mine | mío | mía | míos | mías |
yours (tú) | tuyo | tuya | tuyos | tuyas |
his/hers | suyo | suya | suyos | suyas |
ours | nuestro/a* | nuestros/as* | ||
yours (vosotros) | vuestro/a* | vuestros/as* | ||
theirs | suyo | suya | suyos | suyas |
(The forms for nuestro and vuestro are usually taught in short-form, but also exist in long-form.)
✅ Examples
El libro es mío. (The book is mine.)
La mochila es tuya. (The backpack is yours.)
Los cuadernos son suyos. (The notebooks are his/hers/theirs.)
Las ideas son nuestras. (The ideas are ours.)
4️⃣ Avoiding Confusion with su / sus
Since su / sus can mean his, her, its, your, or their, Spanish often clarifies:
✅ de + person
El libro de ella (her book)
Los zapatos de ellos (their shoes)
5️⃣ Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ su casa de ella ✅ la casa de ella
❌ mi casas ✅ mis casas
❌ Matching the owner instead of the noun ✅ su hermano, su hermana
6️⃣ Quick Practice
Choose the correct form:
___ amigos (my) → mis amigos
___ mochila (our) → nuestra mochila
El coche es ___ (yours) → tuyo