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Learn Spanish possessive adjectives like mi/mis (my), tu/tus (your), and su/sus (his/her/your), which agree in gender and number with the noun, e.g., "mi casa" or "nuestras casas."
  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)
TúTu (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?
(What are your brothers' names?)
2.
¿Cuántos años tiene ... abuela?
(How old is your grandmother?)
3.
¿Dónde vive ... primo?
(Where does your cousin live?)
4.
... familia es muy grande.
(Your family is very large.)
5.
... tías son muy graciosas.
(Our aunts are very funny.)
6.
... padres tienen un perro.
(My parents have a dog.)
7.
... tíos viven en Madrid.
(Our uncles live in Madrid.)
8.
... padre vive en Valencia.
(My father lives in Valencia.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Mi hermano y yo compartimos ___ casa con nuestros padres.

(My brother and I share ___ house with our parents.)

2. ___ primos tienen una mascota muy simpática.

(___ cousins have a very nice pet.)

3. Mi padre trabaja en ___ oficina cerca de casa.

(My father works in ___ office near home.)

4. ___ hijos están en la escuela y sus amigos también.

(___ children are at school and their friends too.)

5. Ella siempre lleva ___ chaqueta porque hace frío afuera.

(She always wears ___ jacket because it is cold outside.)

6. ¿Dónde está ___ coche? Lo veo en la calle.

(Where is ___ car? I see it on the street.)

Understanding Possessive Adjectives in Spanish

This lesson introduces you to possessive adjectives in Spanish, essential words that indicate ownership or association. These adjectives must agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun they describe.

What Are Possessive Adjectives?

Possessive adjectives are placed directly before a noun and show to whom something belongs. For example, in the phrase "mi casa", "mi" means "my", indicating possession of the house.

Forms of Possessive Adjectives

Each personal pronoun has specific possessive adjectives, which change depending on the noun's gender and number:

  • Yo (I): mi (singular), mis (plural)
  • Tú (You - singular informal): tu, tus
  • Él/Ella/Usted (He/She/You - formal): su, sus
  • Nosotros/Nosotras (We): nuestro/nuestra, nuestros/nuestras
  • Vosotros/Vosotras (You all - informal plural): vuestro/vuestra, vuestros/vuestras
  • Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes (They/You all - formal plural): su, sus

Key Points to Remember

  • Possessive adjectives match the noun they modify in gender and number, not the owner. For example, "nuestro libro" (our book - masculine singular) versus "nuestra casa" (our house - feminine singular).
  • The third person singular and plural forms (su/sus) are identical regardless of the owner.
  • Possessive adjectives always appear before the noun.

Examples in Context

  • Mi casa — My house
  • Tus primos — Your cousins
  • Nuestra habitación — Our room
  • Vuestra familia — Your (plural informal) family
  • Su coche — His/Her/Their car

Differences from English

Unlike English, where possessive adjectives do not change form based on the noun (e.g., "my" is fixed regardless of whether the following noun is singular or plural), Spanish possessive adjectives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. Also, Spanish uses different forms for formal and plural "you" that affect the possessive adjective form.

Useful phrases to remember: mi/mis (my), tu/tus (your, informal singular), su/sus (his, her, their, your formal), nuestro/nuestra (our), and vuestro/vuestra (you all’s, informal plural in Spain).

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