Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns show who owns something and replace a noun to avoid repetition. This guide goes through the main possessive pronouns and how to use them.
Possessive Adjectives
Possessive adjectives come before a noun and agree in gender and number with that noun. They mark ownership but do not replace the noun.
| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) |
|---|---|
| mi | my |
| tu | your (informal) |
| su | his / her / your (formal) / their |
| nuestro / nuestra | our |
| vuestro / vuestra | your (plural, Spain) |
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🧢 Mi gorra está en la mesa. | My cap is on the table. |
| 🧴 Tu botella de agua está vacía. | Your water bottle is empty. |
| 🧳 Su maleta es muy pesada. | His/Her/Their suitcase is very heavy. |
| 🪁 Nuestro cometa se quedó atrapado en el árbol. | Our kite got stuck in the tree. |
| 🥪 Vuestra cesta está llena de sándwiches. | Your (pl.) basket is full of sandwiches. |
| 🐶 Su collar brilla al sol. | Their dog’s collar shines in the sun. |
Short and Long Forms
Spanish has short and long possessive adjectives; short forms like mi and tu come before the noun, while long forms like mío and tuyo can add emphasis and agree in gender and number.
| Short Form | Long Form | Short Form | Long Form |
|---|---|---|---|
| mi | mío / mía / míos / mías | su | suyo / suya / suyos / suyas |
| tu | tuyo / tuya / tuyos / tuyas | nuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestras | |
| Spanish Example | English Translation | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 🧢 Esta es mi gorra. | This is my cap. | Short before noun |
| 🧴 La botella es mía. | The bottle is mine. | Long after noun |
| 🧳 Esa es su maleta. | That is his/her/their suitcase. | Short before noun |
| 🪁 El cometa es suyo. | The kite is theirs. | Long after noun |
| 🥪 Nuestros sándwiches son deliciosos. | Our sandwiches are delicious. | Short before noun |
| 🧺 La cesta es nuestra. | The basket is ours. | Long after noun |
Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns replace a noun and agree in gender and number with the thing possessed. They often use the long form and can be preceded by an article.
| Spanish Pronoun | English Pronoun | Spanish Pronoun | English Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| el mío | mine | el tuyo | yours |
| el suyo | his / hers / yours | el nuestro | ours |
| el vuestro | yours (pl.) | la mía | mine |
| la tuya | yours | la suya | his / hers / yours |
| la nuestra | ours | las mías | mine |
| las tuyas | yours | las suyas | his / hers / yours |
| Spanish Example | English Translation |
|---|---|
| 🧢 La gorra es mía. | The cap is mine. |
| 🧴 La botella es tuya. | The bottle is yours. |
| 🧳 La maleta es suya. | The suitcase is his/hers/yours (formal). |
| 🪁 El cometa es nuestro. | The kite is ours. |
| 🧺 La cesta es vuestra. | The basket is yours (pl.). |
| 🐶 El collar es suyo. | The collar is theirs. |
Usage
Use short possessive adjectives (mi, tu) before nouns for straightforward ownership. Use long forms (mío, tuyo) as possessive pronouns to replace nouns or for emphasis.
Summary
Possessive adjectives show ownership and agree with the noun; possessive pronouns replace the noun and agree in gender and number. Short forms like mi appear before nouns, while long forms like mío can stand alone.
Last updated: Sun Sep 14, 2025