Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives show who something belongs to and they agree in gender and number with the noun they modify. This guide goes over each possessive adjective and gives useful examples.
Short Possessive Adjectives
Short possessive adjectives appear immediately before the noun and agree in gender and number: mi, tu, su, nuestro, etc. They are the most common form for expressing possession.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) | Short Possessive Adjective | Short Possessive Adjective |
|---|---|---|---|
| my | mi / mis | my | mi / mis |
| your (informal) | tu / tus | your (informal) | tu / tus |
| his/her/its/your (formal) | su / sus | his/her/its/your (formal) | su / sus |
| our | nuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestras | our | nuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestras |
| your (plural) | vuestro / vuestra / vuestros / vuestras | your (plural) | vuestro / vuestra / vuestros / vuestras |
| their | su / sus | their | su / sus |
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏠 My house is cozy. | My house is cozy. |
| 🏡 Your garden is beautiful. | Your garden is beautiful. |
| 🏘️ His fence is white. | His fence is white. |
| 🏠 Her door is red. | Her door is red. |
| 🏚️ Its roof is old. | Its roof is old. |
| 🏠 Our windows are clean. | Our windows are clean. |
| 🏡 Your driveway is long. | Your driveway is long. |
| 🏘️ Their porch has flowers. | Their porch has flowers. |
Long Possessive Adjectives
Long possessive adjectives use mío, tuyo, suyo, etc. and they agree in gender and number. They are often used for emphasis or when the possessor is clear from context. They can follow the noun and can be preceded by de.
| English Word(s) | English Word(s) | Long Possessive Adjective | Long Possessive Adjective |
|---|---|---|---|
| mine | mío / mía / míos / mías | mine | mío / mía / míos / mías |
| yours (informal) | tuyo / tuya / tuyos / tuyas | yours (informal) | tuyo / tuya / tuyos / tuyas |
| his/hers/yours (formal) | suyo / suya / suyos / suyas | his/hers/yours (formal) | suyo / suya / suyos / suyas |
| ours | nuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestras | ours | nuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestras |
| yours (plural) | vuestro / vuestra / vuestros / vuestras | yours (plural) | vuestro / vuestra / vuestros / vuestras |
| theirs | suyo / suya / suyos / suyas | theirs | suyo / suya / suyos / suyas |
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏠 The house of mine has a big tree. | The house of mine has a big tree. |
| 🏡 The garden of yours is very colorful. | The garden of yours is very colorful. |
| 🏘️ The fence of his is neatly painted. | The fence of his is neatly painted. |
| 🏠 The door of hers is slightly ajar. | The door of hers is slightly ajar. |
| 🏚️ The roof of its is covered with moss. | The roof of its is covered with moss. |
| 🏠 The windows of ours gleam in the sun. | The windows of ours gleam in the sun. |
| 🏡 The driveway of yours is sprinkled with lights. | The driveway of yours is sprinkled with lights. |
| 🏘️ The porch of theirs welcomes guests warmly. | The porch of theirs welcomes guests warmly. |
When to Use Each Form
Use short possessive adjectives for normal possession and long possessive adjectives for emphasis, contrast, or when the possessor is expressed or understood. Long forms can add nuance and stylistic effect.
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏠 She painted her shutters. (Short form before noun) | She painted her shutters. |
| 🖼️ She painted the shutters of hers. (Long form after noun) | She painted the shutters of hers. |
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Possessive Adjectives vs. Possessive Pronouns
Possessive adjectives modify a noun and short forms appear before the noun while long forms can follow it. Possessive pronouns replace the noun entirely; long forms can function as pronouns when used alone.
| English Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🏠 This is my house. (Possessive adjective + noun) | This is my house. |
| 🏡 This house is mine. (Possessive pronoun) | This house is mine. |
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Summary
Short possessive adjectives like mi, tu and su appear before the noun and agree in gender and number. Long possessive adjectives like mío and tuyo add emphasis and can follow the noun. Use short forms for everyday possession and long forms for clarity or style.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025