Possessives
Use basic possessives such as mi, tu, su, and nuestro before a noun.
Possessive Adjectives in Spanish
Possessive adjectives are words like mi (my), tu (your), and su (his / her / your / their). They show who something belongs to and normally come before the noun.
The important rule is that the possessive agrees with the thing being possessed, not with the owner.
For example:
- mi libro — my book
- mis libros — my books
- nuestra casa — our house
- nuestro coche — our car
In nuestra casa, nuestra is feminine because casa is feminine. It does not matter whether the people who own the house are men or women.
| Owner | Singular noun | Plural noun |
|---|---|---|
| I | mi | mis |
| you (informal) | tu | tus |
| he / she / you (formal) / they | su | sus |
| we | nuestro / nuestra | nuestros / nuestras |
| you plural (Spain) | vuestro / vuestra | vuestros / vuestras |
Examples
- Esta es mi amiga Laura. — This is my friend Laura.
- ¿Dónde están tus zapatos? — Where are your shoes?
- Su casa está cerca. — His, her, your, or their house is nearby.
- Nuestra profesora se llama Elena. — Our teacher’s name is Elena.
- Nuestros amigos viven en Madrid. — Our friends live in Madrid.
Possessives agree with the thing possessed
The possessive agrees with the thing that belongs to someone, not with the owner.
For mi, tu, and su, only the number changes:
- mi libro → mis libros
- tu casa → tus casas
- su amigo → sus amigos
For nuestro and vuestro, both gender and number can change:
- nuestro amigo — our male friend
- nuestra amiga — our female friend
- nuestros amigos — our male/mixed-gender friends
- nuestras amigas — our female friends
A man and a woman can both say mi casa because mi agrees with casa, not with the person who owns it.
Su can have several meanings
Su and sus can mean his, her, your (formal), or their.
- su casa — his house / her house / your house / their house
Usually, the context makes the meaning clear.
Common mistake: tu vs tú
tu without an accent means your:
- tu casa — your house
tú with an accent means you:
- Tú vives aquí. — You live here.
See articles and adjective agreement for similar agreement patterns.
Quick rule
mi / tu / su change for number (mi → mis), while nuestro / vuestro change for both gender and number (nuestro → nuestra → nuestros → nuestras).