Learn how to use Spanish possessive adjectives like mi/mis (my), tu/tus (your), and nuestro/nuestra (our) to show ownership, matching gender and number with the noun, e.g., mi casa, tus libros.
  1. Possessive adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun.
  2. They are placed before the noun, as in "mi casa".
  3. Possessive adjectives for the third person singular and plural are the same.
Persona (Person)Singular  (Singular)Plural  (Plural)
YoMi (My)Mis (My)
Tu (You)Tus (Your)
Él/Ella/UstedSu (His)Sus (Sus)
Nosotros/NosotrasNuestro (Our)/ Nuestra (Our)Nuestros (Our)/ Nuestras (Our)
Vosotros/VosotrasVuestro (Your)/ Vuestra (Your)Vuestros (Your)/ Vuestras (Your)
Ellos/Ellas/UstedesSu (His)Sus (Sus)

Exercise 1: Los adjetivos posesivos

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

tu, Nuestros, Mis, Mi, Nuestras, tus, vuestro, Vuestra

1.
¿Cómo se llaman ... hermanos? Mis hermanos se llaman Roberto y Marta.
(What are your brothers' names? My brothers' names are Roberto and Marta.)
2.
¿Cuántos años tiene ... abuela? Mi abuela tiene 80 años.
(How old is your grandmother? My grandmother is 80 years old.)
3.
¿Dónde vive ... primo? Nuestro primo vive en Madrid.
(Where does your cousin live? Our cousin lives in Madrid.)
4.
... familia es muy grande, la nuestra es pequeña.
(Your family is very big, ours is small.)
5.
... tías son muy graciosas, las vuestras también.
(Our aunts are very funny, yours are too.)
6.
... padres tienen un perro, yo un gato.
(My parents have a dog, I have a cat.)
7.
... tíos viven en Madrid, vuestros tíos en Barcelona.
(Our uncles live in Madrid, your uncles in Barcelona.)
8.
... padre vive en Valencia, yo vivo en Madrid.
(My father lives in Valencia, I live in Madrid.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Esta es ___ familia. Mi madre es muy amable.

(This is ___ family. My mother is very kind.)

2. ___ hermanos son estudiantes en la universidad.

(___ brothers are students at the university.)

3. ___ padre trabaja en una empresa grande.

(___ father works at a big company.)

4. ___ casa está cerca del parque.

(___ house is near the park.)

5. ___ primos viven en Madrid y son simpáticos.

(___ cousins live in Madrid and are nice.)

6. ___ abuela cocina muy bien las paellas.

(___ grandmother cooks paellas very well.)

Possessive Adjectives in Spanish

This lesson introduces possessive adjectives, a fundamental part of Spanish grammar used to express ownership or possession. You will learn how these adjectives change depending on the person they refer to and the number and gender of the object possessed.

What Are Possessive Adjectives?

Possessive adjectives describe to whom something belongs. In Spanish, they must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. For example, mi casa (my house) shows possession and agrees with the singular feminine noun casa.

Forms of Possessive Adjectives

The table below summarizes the forms according to the subject:

PersonSingularPlural
Yo (I)MiMis
Tú (You informal)TuTus
Él/Ella/Usted (He/She/You formal)SuSus
Nosotros/Nosotras (We)Nuestro / NuestraNuestros / Nuestras
Vosotros/Vosotras (You all informal)Vuestro / VuestraVuestros / Vuestras
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes (They/You all formal)SuSus

Key Points to Remember

  • Possessive adjectives always precede the noun, e.g., "mi casa" (my house).
  • The adjectives agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun, not with the possessor.
  • For the first and second person plural (nosotros and vosotros), the adjectives have separate masculine and feminine forms like nuestro/nuestra.
  • The third person singular and plural forms (su / sus) are the same for both genders and numbers but differentiate singular/plural nouns.

Examples

  • Esta es mi familia. (This is my family.)
  • Tus hermanos son estudiantes. (Your brothers are students.)
  • Nuestra casa es grande. (Our house is big.)
  • Su casa está cerca del parque. (His/Her/Their house is near the park.)
  • Mis primos viven en Madrid. (My cousins live in Madrid.)
  • Vuestra abuela cocina muy bien. (Your grandmother cooks very well.)

Differences and Useful Phrases

Unlike English, where possessive adjectives like "my," "your," or "their" stay the same regardless of the noun's gender, Spanish possessive adjectives change according to the noun's gender and number. For example, "mi casa" (my house) uses mi because casa is singular and feminine, while "mis casas" (my houses) uses the plural form mis.

Also, Spanish commonly uses formal and informal forms for "you" — (informal) and usted (formal) — with their respective possessive adjectives tu and su. Remember that su can mean his, her, their, or your (formal), so context is important.

Helpful phrases to practice possession:

  • Mi libro – My book
  • Tu coche – Your (informal) car
  • Su trabajo – His/her/their/your (formal) job
  • Nuestra familia – Our family
  • Vuestros amigos – Your (plural, informal) friends

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