Possessive pronouns show who owns, has, or is connected to something. They replace a noun phrase so you do not repeat the noun. They answer the question “Whose is it” and usually refer back to a person or thing already mentioned.

English has two different possessive forms that learners often mix up: possessive determiners and possessive pronouns. Determiners come before a noun and modify it, while possessive pronouns stand alone and replace the whole noun phrase. Learning the difference helps you choose forms like my versus mine correctly.

Word/Phrase	🇪🇸 Español Palabra/Frase	Definition	🇪🇸 Español Definición	Example	🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo
possessive determiner	🧩 determinante posesivo	possessive word used before a noun	🧩 palabra posesiva usada antes de un sustantivo	This is my book.	🧩 Este es mi libro.
possessive pronoun	🧩 pronombre posesivo	possessive word that replaces the noun phrase	🧩 palabra posesiva que reemplaza la frase nominal	This book is mine.	🧩 Este libro es mío.

The core possessive pronouns are mine, yours, his, hers, its, ours, and theirs. They do not come directly before a noun. They often appear after a linking verb like be or after a preposition.

Word/Phrase	🇪🇸 Español Palabra/Frase	Definition	🇪🇸 Español Definición	Example	🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo
mine	🧩 mine	belongs to me	🧩 pertenece a mí	The red one is mine.	🧩 El rojo es mío.
yours	🧩 yours	belongs to you	🧩 pertenece a ti	Is this yours?	🧩 ¿Es esto tuyo?
his	🧩 his	belongs to him	🧩 pertenece a él	The choice is his.	🧩 La elección es suya.
hers	🧩 hers	belongs to her	🧩 pertenece a ella	That seat is hers.	🧩 Ese asiento es suyo.
its	🧩 its	belongs to it	🧩 pertenece a ello	The fault is its.	🧩 La culpa es suya.
ours	🧩 ours	belongs to us	🧩 pertenece a nosotros	This responsibility is ours.	🧩 Esta responsabilidad es nuestra.
theirs	🧩 theirs	belongs to them	🧩 pertenece a ellos	The decision is theirs.	🧩 La decisión es suya.

Possessive pronouns commonly appear after be to identify ownership or association, as in “It is mine.” They also appear after prepositions when the object is the possessed thing, as in “a friend of yours.” In short answers, they can stand alone because the noun is understood from context.

Rule	🇪🇸 Español Regla	Example	🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo
Use after be to state who something belongs to	📌 Usa después de 'be' para indicar de quién pertenece algo	The jacket is hers.	📌 La chaqueta es suya.
Use after a preposition when the noun is omitted	📌 Usa después de una preposición cuando el sustantivo está omitido	I spoke to a colleague of his.	📌 Hablé con un colega de él.
Use as a short reply when the noun is clear	📌 Usa como respuesta corta cuando el sustantivo sea claro	Whose keys are these? Mine.	📌 ¿De quién son estas llaves? Las mías.

Possessive determiners must be followed by a noun, while possessive pronouns cannot be followed by a noun. This difference changes the structure of the noun phrase. Choosing the wrong type usually makes the sentence ungrammatical or forces an unnatural repetition.

Rule	🇪🇸 Español Regla	Example	🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo
Use a determiner before a noun	📌 Usa un determinante antes de un sustantivo	That is our plan.	📌 Ese es nuestro plan.
Use a possessive pronoun without a noun	📌 Usa un pronombre posesivo sin un sustantivo	That plan is ours.	📌 Ese plan es nuestro.
Do not use a possessive pronoun directly before a noun	📌 No uses un pronombre posesivo directamente antes de un sustantivo	Correct: my plan. Incorrect: mine plan.	📌 Correcto: mi plan. Incorrecto: plan mío.

His can be both a possessive determiner and a possessive pronoun, so the form does not change. Hers is only a possessive pronoun and must stand alone, while her is the determiner used before a noun. Watching the word after the possessive helps you choose correctly: a noun needs her or his as a determiner, but no noun means hers or his as a pronoun.

Rule	🇪🇸 Español Regla	Example	🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo
His works with or without a following noun	📌 'His' puede usarse con o sin un sustantivo que le siga	This is his car. This car is his.	📌 Este es su coche. Este coche es suyo.
Her needs a noun but hers does not	📌 'Her' necesita un sustantivo, pero 'hers' no.	That is her bag. That bag is hers.	📌 Ese es su bolso. Ese bolso es suyo.

Its as a possessive pronoun is possible but rare and formal, because speakers often rephrase to avoid ambiguity. In questions, whose is used to ask about the owner and it can introduce either a full noun phrase or a stand-alone answer. Understanding these helps with ownership questions and answers in conversation and writing.

Rule	🇪🇸 Español Regla	Example	🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo
Use whose to ask about ownership	📌 Uso de plus possessive pronoun to mean one among several	Whose phone is this?	📌 A friend of mine lives nearby.
Answer with a possessive pronoun	📌 Uso de plus possessive noun similarly	It is theirs.	📌 A colleague of Sarah’s called you.
Its as a stand-alone possessive is uncommon and often replaced		Formal: The responsibility is its. More common: It has the responsibility.

English uses a structure called the double possessive with of plus a possessive pronoun or a possessive noun. It usually means one item or person from a larger group connected to that owner, not a specific unique item. This form is common for relationships, opinions, and things someone owns among other things.

Rule	🇪🇸 Español Regla	Example	🇪🇸 Español Ejemplo
Use of plus possessive pronoun to mean one among several	📌 Usa un determinante posesivo antes de un gerundio en estilo formal	A friend of mine lives nearby.	📌 Aprecio que me ayudes.
Use of plus possessive noun similarly	📌 Usa un sustantivo posesivo antes de un gerundio en estilo formal	A colleague of Sarah’s called you.	📌 Hablamos sobre la incorporación de María al equipo.

Before a gerund, English can use a possessive determiner or a possessive noun to show who does the action. This is more formal and clearer when you want to emphasize the doer of the action rather than the object of a verb. In everyday speech, object pronouns are also common, but possessive forms are standard in careful writing.

Rule	🇪🇸 Español Regla	Example	🇪🇸 Español Descripción
Use a possessive determiner before a gerund in formal style	🔊 Estrés para contraste	I appreciate your helping me.	🔊 Los pronombres posesivos se acentúan fuertemente cuando se contrastan propietarios
Use a possessive noun before a gerund in formal style	🔊 Reducción de la palabra funcional en la frase	We discussed Maria’s joining the team.	🔊 En expresiones como of yours, la preposición suele no llevar acento, mientras que yours lleva el acento

Many possessive pronouns have strong and weak forms depending on stress. In careful contrast, they are stressed, but in fast speech they may reduce. Knowing typical stress patterns helps you sound natural, especially in short answers like “Mine” and in phrases like “a friend of yours.”

Rule	🇪🇸 Español	Description	🇪🇸 Español	Notation	🇪🇸 Español	Example	🇪🇸 Español
Stress for contrast		Possessive pronouns are strongly stressed when contrasting owners		primary stress on the possessive pronoun		Not yours, mine.
Reduced function word in phrase		In phrases like of yours, the preposition is usually unstressed while yours carries the stress		of unstressed, yours stressed		a friend of yours
S sound in yours		Final sound is usually voiced z after a vowel		/jʊrz/ with final /z/		yours