This lesson covers Spanish possessive adjectives used after nouns to emphasize ownership, including mío/a/s (mine), tuyo/a/s (yours), suyo/a/s (his/hers/theirs), nuestro/a/s (ours), and vuestro/a/s (yours plural). Learn their correct forms matching gender and number, e.g., una amiga mía (a friend of mine).
  1. Possessive adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun.
  2. These possessive adjectives are placed after the noun.
Pronombre (Pronoun)Adjetivo posesivo (Possessive adjective)Ejemplo (Example)
YoMío / mía / míos / míasVoy a llevar una vida sana con una amiga mía. (I'm going to lead a healthy life with a friend of mine.)
Tuyo / tuya / tuyos / tuyas¿Ese es un compañero tuyo del gimnasio? (Is that a gym partner yours?)
Él / EllaSuyo / suya / suyos / suyasEntrena con unos amigos suyos. (He trains with some of his friends.)
Nosotros/asNuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestrasVamos al entrenamiento con unos primos nuestros. (We are going to training with some our cousins.)
Vosotros/asVuestro / vuestra / vuestros / vuestras¿Son unos ejercicios vuestros o del instructor? (Are those your exercises or the instructor's?)
Ellos / EllasSuyo / suya / suyos / suyasPractican yoga con unas compañeras suyas. (They practise yoga with some of theirs female classmates.)

Exceptions!

  1. The same adjective is used for both the third person singular and plural.
  2. Be careful not to confuse them with possessive pronouns, such as la mía, which replace the noun. Example: Las pesas tuyas (adjective) are heavier than las mías (pronoun). On the other hand, the possessive adjective always accompanies the noun.

Exercise 1: Los adjetivos posesivos: "Mío", "Tuyo", "Suyo", ...

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

vuestra, nuestra, tuyo, suya, míos, mía

1. 1a plural:
Practicamos yoga con una amiga ... cada semana.
(We practise yoga with a friend of ours every week.)
2. 2a singular:
: El entrenamiento ... fue muy intenso.
(Your training was very intense.)
3. 1a singular:
Hago unos ejercicios ... en casa cada mañana.
(I do some of my own exercises at home every morning.)
4. 3a plural:
Ellos olvidaron una toalla ... en la piscina.
(They forgot one of their towels at the swimming pool.)
5. 1a singular:
Hago una rutina ... con yoga y pesas en casa.
(I do my own routine with yoga and weights at home.)
6. 1a plural:
Vamos a una clase ... de yoga los martes.
(We go to one of our yoga classes on Tuesdays.)
7. 3a singular:
Vi una mochila ... junto a la piscina.
(I saw her bag next to the pool.)
8. 2a plural:
¿Lleváis siempre ... rutina al gimnasio?
(Do you always bring your routine to the gym?)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct sentence that properly uses possessive adjectives after the noun to emphasize ownership, following the indicated rules.

1.
It does not agree in number: "zapatos" is plural and "mío" is singular.
The possessive adjective must be placed after the noun, not before.
2.
The possessive adjective must go after the noun, not before.
"Tuyo" does not agree in gender with "camiseta," which is feminine.
3.
It does not agree in number: "compañeros" is plural and "suyo" is singular.
The possessive adjective must be placed after the noun.
4.
The possessive adjective must be placed after the noun, not before.
It does not agree in number: "amigas" is plural and "nuestra" is singular.

Possessive Adjectives in Spanish: "Mío", "Tuyo", "Suyo", and More

This lesson explores the use of possessive adjectives placed after nouns in Spanish, such as "mío", "tuya", "suyos", which emphasize ownership or a close relationship to the noun.

What You Will Learn

  • How possessive adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun they describe.
  • Correct placements of these adjectives after the noun to add emphasis or clarify ownership.
  • The difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns in Spanish.

Key Possessive Adjective Forms

Here are the pronouns matched with their corresponding possessive adjectives in gender and number variations:

Pronoun Possessive Adjective Example
Yo (I) Mío / mía / míos / mías Voy a llevar una vida sana con una amiga mía.
Tú (You, singular informal) Tuyo / tuya / tuyos / tuyas ¿Ese es un compañero tuyo del gimnasio?
Él/Ella (He/She) Suyo / suya / suyos / suyas Entrena con unos amigos suyos.
Nosotros/as (We) Nuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestras Vamos al entrenamiento con unos primos nuestros.
Vosotros/as (You all, plural informal) Vuestro / vuestra / vuestros / vuestras ¿Son unos ejercicios vuestros o del instructor?
Ellos/Ellas (They) Suyo / suya / suyos / suyas Practican yoga con unas compañeras suyas.

Important Notes

  • These possessive adjectives are placed after the noun to emphasize possession or close relationship.
  • They must always agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the noun they refer to.
  • The same form of possessive adjective is used for both third-person singular and plural (Él/Ella/Ellos/Ellas).
  • Don't confuse these adjectives with possessive pronouns like la mía, which replace the noun entirely. For example: Las pesas tuyas son más pesadas que las mías. Here, "tuyas" is an adjective next to the noun "pesas" and "mías" replaces it.

Differences Between English and Spanish Possessive Structures

While in English, possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, our, their) always come before the noun, in Spanish, you can place the possessive adjective after the noun to add emphasis or clarify ownership. For example:

  • English: "my friend"
  • Spanish: "mi amiga" (before noun) vs. "una amiga mía" (after noun for emphasis)

Useful phrases:

  • una casa mía — a house of mine
  • un amigo tuyo — a friend of yours
  • los libros suyos — his/her/their books

Remember that the possessive adjective agrees in gender and number (mía feminine singular, míos masculine plural, etc.) unlike English possessive adjectives, which remain the same regardless of the noun.

Use this lesson to recognize and practice the forms that highlight emphasis and ownership in Spanish, enriching your ability to express nuanced relationships.

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