Possessive pronouns show who owns something and match the noun's gender and number in Spanish. This guide covers the key possessive pronouns with examples.
Key Vocabulary
| Spanish Word(s) | English Word(s) | |
|---|---|---|
| mío / mía / míos / mías | mine | |
| tuyo / tuya / tuyos / tuyas | yours (informal) | |
| suyo / suya / suyos / suyas | his/hers/yours(formal)/theirs | |
| nuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestras | ours | |
| vuestro / vuestra / vuestros / vuestras | yours (Spain) |
Is this house ours?
Usage
Possessive pronouns replace a noun phrase to avoid repetition and must agree in gender and number with the thing possessed, not with the owner. They are often preceded by a definite article.
Examples
| Spanish Sentence | English Translation | |
|---|---|---|
| 🥪 Puse mi sándwich junto a tu botella de agua. | I put my sandwich next to your water bottle. | |
| 🥡 Ellos guardaron su comida en la nevera. | They stored their food in the fridge. | |
| 🍰 Hoy cocinamos nuestro pastel favorito. | Today we made our favorite cake. | |
| 🍞 ¿Es vuestro pan el que está sobre la toalla? | Is the bread on the towel yours? | |
| 🍪 La galleta que está en el plato es mía. | The cookie on the plate is mine. |
Short Forms vs. Long Forms
Spanish also has short possessive adjectives like mi, tu, and su that come before a noun, while long forms like mío, tuyo, and suyo function as pronouns and replace the noun. Use long forms when you need to emphasize ownership or when the noun is omitted.
Summary
Possessive pronouns like mío, tuyo and suyo agree in gender and number with the thing owned and replace the noun. Use the long forms for emphasis or when replacing the noun, and remember to include the article when required.
Last updated: Fri Oct 24, 2025