- A1 Essential: Master the 5 basic possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su, nuestro, vuestro)
- Understand number agreement - singular vs plural forms (mi/mis, tu/tus)
- Learn gender agreement for nuestro/vuestro forms
- Practice with family members and everyday possessions
- Master the difference between "your" forms (tu vs su)
- Preview A2: Quick reference to possessive pronouns (mío, tuyo, suyo) - see full A2 lesson linked below
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Possessive Adjectives: My, Your, His/Her, Our, Their (Mi, Tu, Su)
What You'll Learn
Overview / Usage
Spanish possessives show ownership and relationships. The good news? They're simpler than Spanish adjectives because most don't change for gender - only for number (singular/plural)!
📚 Complete Possessives - Quick Reference
| Person | ✅ A1: Possessive Adjectives (go before nouns) | 🚀 A2: Possessive Pronouns (standalone: "mine") | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Plural | Singular | Plural | |
| My (yo) | mi mi libro | mis mis libros | el mío / la mía es mío/mía | los míos / las mías son míos/mías |
| Your (tú) | tu tu casa | tus tus casas | el tuyo / la tuya es tuyo/tuya | los tuyos / las tuyas son tuyos/tuyas |
| His/Her/Your (él/ella/Ud.) | su su coche | sus sus coches | el suyo / la suya es suyo/suya | los suyos / las suyas son suyos/suyas |
| Our (nosotros) | nuestro/a nuestro perro | nuestros/as nuestros perros | el nuestro / la nuestra es nuestro/a | los nuestros / las nuestras son nuestros/as |
| Your 🇪🇸 (vosotros) | vuestro/a vuestro amigo | vuestros/as vuestros amigos | el vuestro / la vuestra es vuestro/a | los vuestros / las vuestras son vuestros/as |
| Their/Your (ellos/ellas/Uds.) | su su idea | sus sus ideas | el suyo / la suya es suyo/suya | los suyos / las suyas son suyos/suyas |
💚 Green items: Never change for gender
💙 Blue items: Change for gender (o/a)
🔥 Orange items: Always need articles (el/la/los/las)
📚 Complete Possessives - Quick Reference
✅ A1: Possessive Adjectives(go before nouns: mi libro, tu casa)
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| My (yo) | mi mi libro | mis mis libros |
| Your (tú) | tu tu casa | tus tus casas |
| His/Her (él/ella/Ud.) | su su coche | sus sus coches |
| Our (nosotros) | nuestro/ nuestra nuestro perro | nuestros/ nuestras nuestros perros |
| Your 🇪🇸 (vosotros) | vuestro/ vuestra vuestro amigo | vuestros/ vuestras vuestros amigos |
| Their (ellos/ellas) | su su idea | sus sus ideas |
💡 Note: Blue items (nuestro/vuestro) change for gender!
🚀 A2: Possessive Pronouns(standalone: el mío = mine)
| Person | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| Mine (yo) | el mío/ la mía es mío/mía | los míos/ las mías son míos/mías |
| Yours (tú) | el tuyo/ la tuya es tuyo/tuya | los tuyos/ las tuyas son tuyos/tuyas |
| His/Hers (él/ella/Ud.) | el suyo/ la suya es suyo/suya | los suyos/ las suyas son suyos/suyas |
| Ours (nosotros) | el nuestro/ la nuestra es nuestro/a | los nuestros/ las nuestras son nuestros/as |
| Yours 🇪🇸 (vosotros) | el vuestro/ la vuestra es vuestro/a | los vuestros/ las vuestras son vuestros/as |
| Theirs (ellos/ellas) | el suyo/ la suya es suyo/suya | los suyos/ las suyas son suyos/suyas |
⚠️ Remember: All pronouns need articles when used as subject/object!
This page focuses on possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su) essential for A1 learners. Ready to learn about possessive pronouns (mío, tuyo, suyo)? Learn more in our possessive pronouns lesson.
Structure & Formation
🎯 A1 Focus: Possessive Adjectives
The Simple Three: MI, TU, SU
These three are the easiest - they never change for gender, only add -s for plural:
MI / MIS (my)
mi hermano
my brother
mis hermanos
my brothers
TU / TUS (your - informal)
tu casa
your house
tus casas
your houses
SU / SUS (his/her/your formal/their)
su coche
his/her/your car
sus coches
his/her/your cars
✅ Remember: These match the NUMBER (singular/plural) of what's owned, not the owner!
The Gender Changers: NUESTRO, VUESTRO
These two change for both gender AND number:
NUESTRO/A/OS/AS (our)
nuestro perro our dog | (masc. sing.) |
nuestra casa our house | (fem. sing.) |
nuestros perros our dogs | (masc. plural) |
nuestras casas our houses | (fem. plural) |
VUESTRO/A/OS/AS (your - Spain)
vuestro amigo your friend | (masc. sing.) |
vuestra amiga your friend | (fem. sing.) |
vuestros amigos your friends | (masc. plural) |
vuestras amigas your friends | (fem. plural) |
🇪🇸 Note: Vuestro is mainly used in Spain. In Latin America, use "su/sus" for plural "you".
📚 Ready for More?
Now that you've mastered possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su), you're ready to learn about possessive pronouns (mío, tuyo, suyo) - the words that replace nouns and mean "mine", "yours", "theirs".
Learn Possessive Pronouns (A2) →Examples
💬 Possessives in Action
👨👩👧👦 Family
Mi madre
My motherTu padre
Your fatherSu hermana
His/Her sisterNuestros hijos
Our childrenMis abuelos
My grandparents📱 Everyday Items
Mi teléfono
My phoneTus llaves
Your keysSu ordenador
His/Her computerNuestra casa
Our houseSus libros
Their books🎒 School/Work
Mi profesor
My teacherTu clase
Your classSu trabajo
His/Her workNuestro jefe
Our bossMis notas
My grades🗣️ Common Phrases
¿Dónde está mi móvil?
Where is my phone?
Tu idea es brillante
Your idea is brilliant
Sus padres son amables
Their parents are kind
Nuestra reunión es a las tres
Our meeting is at three
Mis amigos vienen mañana
My friends come tomorrow
Gotchas / Common Mistakes
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
❌ Don't Match the Owner's Number
Wrong: Ellos tienen sus coche
Correct: Ellos tienen su coche
(Even though "they" is plural, use "su" because "coche" is singular)
Correct: Ellos tienen su coche
(Even though "they" is plural, use "su" because "coche" is singular)
✅ Remember: Match the THING owned, not the owner!
⚡ Tu vs Tú - No Accent on Possessive!
tu (no accent) = your
Tu casa es grande
Tu casa es grande
tú (with accent) = you
Tú eres alto
Tú eres alto
💡 Clarifying "Su" When Needed
Since "su" can mean his/her/your/their, sometimes we clarify:
• Su casa → la casa de él (his house)
• Su casa → la casa de ella (her house)
• Su casa → la casa de usted (your house - formal)
• Su casa → la casa de ellos (their house)
• Su casa → la casa de ella (her house)
• Su casa → la casa de usted (your house - formal)
• Su casa → la casa de ellos (their house)
But usually context makes it clear!
🎯 Nuestro Agreement Pattern
Unlike mi/tu/su, "nuestro" changes for gender:
✅ nuestro amigo (masc.)
✅ nuestra amiga (fem.)
✅ nuestros amigos (masc. pl.)
✅ nuestras amigas (fem. pl.)
Quick Test / Mini Quiz
Test Your Possessives Knowledge!
Master Spanish possessive adjectives
1
Choose the correct possessive: ___ hermana es médica (My sister is a doctor)
2
Fill in: ___ libros están en la mesa (Your books are on the table - informal singular)
3
Complete: ___ casa es muy bonita (Our house is very pretty)
4
Which is correct for 'Their parents'?
5
Choose: ___ amigos son simpáticos (Our friends are nice)
6
What does 'su coche' mean?
7
Select the correct form: ___ profesora es española (Your [Spain, plural] teacher is Spanish)
8
Which possessive matches the number of things owned, not the owner?
Useful Resources
Coming soon...