Possessive adjectives in Spanish: my, your, his, her, its, our and their (Adjetivos posesivos)

Possessive adjectives in Spanish

Look at this table to learn about Adjetivo posesivo in Spanish

English    Masc sing    Masc pl     Fem sing    Fem pl    
my mi mis mi mis
your tu tus tu tus
your (formal) su sus su sus
his su sus su sus
her su sus su sus
its su sus su sus
our nuestro nuestros nuestra nuestras
your plural (vosotros) vuestro vuestros vuestra vuestras
your plural (ustedes) su sus su sus
their su sus su sus

Read and listen to these examples:

Él es mi hermano.He is my brother.

Yo tengo mis plantas verdes.I have my green plants.

¿Tienes tu camiseta?Do you have your T-shirt?

Tú estudias con tus compañeros de clase.You study with your classmates.

El perro tiene su hueso.The dog has its bone.

Rubén tiene su libro.Rubén has his book.

Lucía tiene sus libros.Lucía has her books.

Manuel canta con sus amigos.Manuel sings with his friends.

Usted tiene su guitarra.You have your guitar.

Los pájaros son sus animales favoritos. Birds are your favourite animals. ["your" refers to "usted"]

Ellos tienen su propio coche.They have their own car.

Belén tiene sus sábanas de seda.Belén has her silk bed sheets.

La moda italiana es nuestro modelo.Italian fashion is our model.

El juego es nuestra adicción.Gambling is our addiction.

Tomás y Marcos son nuestros cantantes favoritos.Tomás and Marcos are our favourite singers.

Laura y Nerea son nuestras primas.Laura and Nerea are our cousins.

El chico es vuestro primo.The boy is your cousin. [your refers to "vosotros"]

El pop es vuestra música preferida.Pop is your favourite music. [your refers to "vosotros"]

Inés tiene vuestros lápices.Inés has your pencils. [your refers to "vosotros"]

Yo no tengo vuestras camisas.I don't have your shirts.

Usted necesita mostrar su pasaporte.You need to show your passport.

¿Tienen ustedes sus maletas en la consigna?Do you have your suitcases in the cloakroom?

In Spanish, su and sus can refer to six different owners:

  1. he
  2. she
  3. it
  4. you [usted]
  5. you [ustedes]
  6. they

You need to work out the owner by the context.

Possesive adjectives also have a long form that is the same as the Pronombre posesivo. It is more expressive. You use it, for example, when talking of a special friend or relative.

Un amigo mío.A friend of mine.
Unlike the regular possessive adjective forms mi, tu, su, and their plurals, the long form follows the noun. See also Spanish long-form possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her, our, their)

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Examples and resources

Tomás y Marcos son nuestros cantantes favoritos.Tomás and Marcos are our favourite singers.
El juego es nuestra adicción.Gambling is our addiction.
Un amigo mío.A friend of mine.
Rubén tiene su libro.Rubén has his book.
El perro tiene su hueso.The dog has its bone.
Laura y Nerea son nuestras primas.Laura and Nerea are our cousins.
Usted necesita mostrar su pasaporte.You need to show your passport.
¿Tienen ustedes sus maletas en la consigna?Do you have your suitcases in the cloakroom?
Él es mi hermano.He is my brother.
¿Tienes tu camiseta?Do you have your T-shirt?
Los pájaros son sus animales favoritos. Birds are your favourite animals. ["your" refers to "usted"]
Yo tengo mis plantas verdes.I have my green plants.
El chico es vuestro primo.The boy is your cousin. [your refers to "vosotros"]
Tú estudias con tus compañeros de clase.You study with your classmates.
Inés tiene vuestros lápices.Inés has your pencils. [your refers to "vosotros"]
El pop es vuestra música preferida.Pop is your favourite music. [your refers to "vosotros"]
Lucía tiene sus libros.Lucía has her books.
Manuel canta con sus amigos.Manuel sings with his friends.
Usted tiene su guitarra.You have your guitar.
La moda italiana es nuestro modelo.Italian fashion is our model.
Yo no tengo vuestras camisas.I don't have your shirts.
Belén tiene sus sábanas de seda.Belén has her silk bed sheets.
Ellos tienen su propio coche.They have their own car.
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