- 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: Quick reference to possessive pronouns (mio, tuyo, suyo) - see full lesson linked below
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AdjectivesBeginner
Possessive Adjectives: mi, tu, su, nuestro (My, Your, His/Her, Our)
Master the words for my, your, his, her, our, and their in Spanish
What You'll Learn
Overview
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 | ✅ Possessive Adjectives (go before nouns) | 🚀 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
✅ 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!
🚀 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). Ready to learn about possessive pronouns (mío, tuyo, suyo)? Learn more in our possessive pronouns lesson.
Structure & Formation
The Simple Three: MI, TU, SU
These 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/their)
su coche
his/her/your car
sus coches
his/her/your cars
Remember: These match the NUMBER of what's owned, not the owner!
The Gender Changers: NUESTRO, VUESTRO
These change for both gender AND number
NUESTRO/A/OS/AS (our)
nuestro perro(m.s.)
nuestra casa(f.s.)
nuestros perros(m.p.)
nuestras casas(f.p.)
VUESTRO/A/OS/AS (your - Spain)
vuestro amigo(m.s.)
vuestra amiga(f.s.)
vuestros amigos(m.p.)
vuestras amigas(f.p.)
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 →Examples
Mi / Mis (My)
Singular
mi madre
my mother
Singular
mi teléfono
my phone
Singular
mi profesor
my teacher
Plural
mis abuelos
my grandparents
Plural
mis notas
my grades
Tu / Tus (Your - informal)
Singular
tu padre
your father
Singular
tu clase
your class
Singular
tu idea
your idea
Plural
tus llaves
your keys
Plural
tus amigos
your friends
Su / Sus (His/Her/Your/Their)
Singular
su hermana
his/her sister
Singular
su trabajo
his/her work
Singular
su ordenador
his/her computer
Plural
sus libros
their books
Plural
sus padres
their parents
Nuestro/a/os/as (Our)
Masc. Sing.
nuestro perro
our dog
Fem. Sing.
nuestra casa
our house
Masc. Sing.
nuestro jefe
our boss
Masc. Plur.
nuestros hijos
our children
Fem. Plur.
nuestras amigas
our friends (f)
Key Agreement Rules
Mi, Tu, Su
Only change for number
mi libro / mis libros
Nuestro, Vuestro
Change for gender AND number
nuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestras
Common Mistakes
Matching the owner's number instead of the thing owned
Wrong: Ellos tienen sus coche
Correct: Ellos tienen su coche (They have their car)
Even though "they" is plural, use "su" because "coche" is singular. Match the THING, not the owner!
Confusing tu (your) with tu (you)
Wrong: Tú casa es grande (meaning "You house is big")
Correct: tu casa (your house) vs tú eres (you are)
No accent: tu = your (possessive). With accent: tú = you (pronoun).
Not clarifying ambiguous "su" when needed
Unclear: Su casa es grande (Whose house?)
Clear: la casa de él (his) / la casa de ella (her)
"Su" can mean his/her/your(formal)/their. Clarify with "de él/ella/usted/ellos" when context is unclear.
Forgetting gender agreement with nuestro/vuestro
Wrong: nuestro casa
Correct: nuestra casa (our house)
Unlike mi/tu/su, "nuestro" changes for gender: nuestro (m.) / nuestra (f.) / nuestros / nuestras.
Want more practice? Try our interactive fill-in-the-blank exercises to master possessive adjectives and pronouns in context!
Quick Test
Test your understanding of 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?
Want more practice? Try our interactive fill-in-the-blank exercises to master possessives in context!