A1–A2 · Spanish Grammar · Ownership
LOS
POSESIVOS
Possessive adjectives and pronouns — expressing ownership and belonging in Spanish. Agree in gender and number with the thing owned, not the owner!
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MY
TU
SU
TU
SU
The most important rule
Possessives agree with the THING owned
Unlike English, Spanish possessives must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify — NOT with the owner. The owner only determines which possessive to choose (mi, tu, su…); the noun determines the ending.
The Agreement Rule
possessive
→
agrees with
→
the noun (thing owned)
≠
the owner
✓ Masculine singular
mi libro → mi libro
my book
su coche → su coche
his/her/their car
✓ Feminine singular
mi casa → mi casa
my house
nuestra ciudad → nuestra ciudad
our city
⚠️
Classic mistake: In English, “his book” and “her book” are different. In Spanish, both are “su libro” — the possessive doesn’t change based on the owner’s gender, only the noun’s gender matters!
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Two types: There are unstressed (short) forms — used before the noun (mi, tu, su, nuestro…) — and stressed (long) forms — used after the noun or alone (mío, tuyo, suyo, nuestro…).
Two forms at a glance
Unstressed vs Stressed Possessives
Choose the form based on where the possessive appears in the sentence.
| Aspect | Unstressed (short) | Stressed (long) |
|---|---|---|
| Position | Before the noun | After the noun / alone |
| Forms | mi, tu, su, nuestro/a, vuestro/a | mío/a, tuyo/a, suyo/a, nuestro/a, vuestro/a |
| Example | mi coche = my car | el coche mío = my car (emphasis) |
| Used as pronoun | No — always before noun | Yes — el mío = mine |
| Meaning change | None | Adds emphasis or ownership contrast |
📝
Same word, two roles for nuestro/vuestro: These words are the same in both forms! “Nuestro libro” (before) = “el libro nuestro” (after). They do need to agree in gender/number though: nuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestras.
Part 1 — Unstressed Possessive Adjectives
Before the noun — adjetivos posesivos átonos
The Short Forms — mi, tu, su, nuestro, vuestro
These come directly before the noun. Most have only two forms (singular/plural), but nuestro and vuestro have four (they agree in gender too).
| Owner | Masc. Sing. | Fem. Sing. | Masc. Pl. | Fem. Pl. | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | mi | mi | mis | mis | my |
| tú | tu | tu | tus | tus | your (informal) |
| él/ella/usted | su | su | sus | sus | his/her/its/your(formal) |
| nosotros | nuestro | nuestra | nuestros | nuestras | our |
| vosotros | vuestro | vuestra | vuestros | vuestras | your (Spain, pl.) |
| ellos/ustedes | su | su | sus | sus | their/your(formal pl.) |
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mi / tu — no accent: Remember: mi (my) has no accent. Only mí (the stressed pronoun “me”) has one. Same for tu (your) vs tú (you).
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su is ambiguous: Su libro could mean his/her/your(formal)/their book. Context usually makes it clear. You can clarify: “el libro de él/de María/de usted”.
Part 2 — Stressed Possessive Pronouns
After the noun or standalone — pronombres posesivos tónicos
The Long Forms — mío, tuyo, suyo, nuestro, vuestro
These agree in both gender and number with the noun. They are used after the noun for emphasis, or standalone with a definite article as pronouns (mine, yours, his…).
| Owner | Masc. Sing. | Fem. Sing. | Masc. Pl. | Fem. Pl. | English (mine, yours…) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| yo | mío | mía | míos | mías | mine |
| tú | tuyo | tuya | tuyos | tuyas | yours |
| él/ella/usted | suyo | suya | suyos | suyas | his/hers/yours |
| nosotros | nuestro | nuestra | nuestros | nuestras | ours |
| vosotros | vuestro | vuestra | vuestros | vuestras | yours |
| ellos/ustedes | suyo | suya | suyos | suyas | theirs/yours |
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As pronouns (el mío): Add the definite article: el mío, la mía, los míos, las mías. The article replaces the noun: “¿Es tu mochila? No, es la mía.”
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After noun (emphasis): “Un amigo mío” (a friend of mine). “Esta es la culpa suya” (This is his/her fault). More emphatic than the short form.
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Neuter form: Use lo mío, lo tuyo, lo suyo for abstract concepts: “Lo mío es el deporte” (Sport is my thing). No noun, just an abstract idea.
Unstressed in use
Short form — before the noun
The most common use — directly before the noun they modify.
Mi casa tiene tres habitaciones.
My house has three bedrooms. (mi agrees with casa, fem.)
mi = singular (not mia — unstressed form never changes!)
¿Dónde están tus libros?
Where are your books? (tus = plural of tu)
Su perro es muy simpático.
His/her/their dog is very friendly. (su + singular noun)
su can mean his/her/their/your(formal) — context clarifies
Nuestra escuela está en el centro.
Our school is in the centre. (nuestra — fem. noun: escuela)
¿Conocéis a vuestros vecinos?
Do you know your neighbours? (vuestros — masc. pl.: vecinos)
Se me olvidó mi bolso — ¿tienes el tuyo?
I forgot my bag — do you have yours?
mi (before noun) + el tuyo (standalone pronoun)
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Short forms don’t have gender for mi/tu/su: Unlike nuestro/vuestra, the forms mi/tu/su are the same for masculine and feminine nouns. Only the number changes: mi→mis, tu→tus, su→sus.
Stressed in use
Long form — after noun & as pronouns
Used for emphasis, contrast, or standing alone (mine, yours, his…).
¿Es esta tu mochila? — No, es la mía.
Is this your backpack? — No, it’s mine. (la mía = fem.)
el/la + stressed form = standalone pronoun
Mi coche es viejo, pero el tuyo es nuevo.
My car is old, but yours is new. (el tuyo = masc.)
Es un amigo mío.
He’s a friend of mine. (after noun: amigo — emphatic)
un + noun + stressed possessive = “a friend of mine”
Los resultados nuestros son mejores.
Our results are better. (after noun — emphatic)
Mi móvil no funciona. ¿Me prestas el tuyo?
My phone isn’t working. Can you lend me yours?
¡Lo tuyo es el teatro!
Theatre is your thing! (lo + stressed = abstract)
Neuter lo + stressed form = abstract possession
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Replacing the noun: The article in “el mío” matches the noun it replaces: “la maleta → la mía” (fem.), “los zapatos → los míos” (masc. pl.).
Special cases & common mistakes
Watch out for these!
❌ Common Errors
✗ “mi casa es grande y mia.”
DON’T use unstressed + stressed together like this.
✓ Say: “Mi casa es grande” OR “La casa es mía.”
✗ “El coche de ella es el suya.”
Article must match the noun: coche (masc.) → el suyo.
✓ Say: “El coche de ella es el suyo.”
✗ “Es mi amigo mío.”
Don’t stack both short and long forms.
✓ Say: “Es mi amigo.” OR “Es un amigo mío.”
✓ Special Constructions
¡Dios mío! / ¡Madre mía!
My God! / Oh my goodness! (set expressions with stressed form)
Es culpa tuya, no mía.
It’s your fault, not mine. (stressed after noun — contrast)
Un colega nuestro nos llamó.
A colleague of ours called us. (un + noun + stressed)
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Body parts & clothing: Spanish often uses the definite article instead of possessives with body parts: “Me duele la cabeza” (not mi cabeza) because the indirect object pronoun already shows ownership.
1
Choose the correct short form
– Write the right unstressed possessive.
yo → ___ libro (masc. sing.)
yo → ___ llaves (fem. pl.)
nosotros → ___ ciudad (fem. sing.)
nosotros → ___ hijos (masc. pl.)
tú → ___ amigos (masc. pl.)
vosotros → ___ profesora (fem. sing.)
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2
Complete the sentence
– Choose the correct possessive form (short or long).
Esta mochila no es — es de Ana. mine (pronoun)
¿Dónde viven padres? your (informal)
Tenemos un problema: el coche no arranca. ours (after noun, masc.)
¡Dios ! ¿Qué ha pasado? mío (set expr.)
¿Es este el móvil de Pedro? — Sí, es el . his (pronoun, masc.)
trabajo es muy interesante. our (before noun, masc.)
⭐
3
Correct or Incorrect?
– Is the possessive used correctly?
Esta es nuestra casa — la compramos el año pasado.
✔ Correct! “Nuestra” (fem.) agrees with “casa” (feminine noun). Before the noun ✓
La mochila tuyo está en la silla.
✘ Incorrect! “Mochila” is feminine → use tuya: “La mochila tuya”. The long form must agree with the noun’s gender.
Es culpa suya, no nuestra.
✔ Correct! Both stressed forms agree with “culpa” (feminine). After the noun ✓. Contrast structure ✓.
¿Es este su abrigo? — Sí, es el mío.
✔ Correct! “Su” (short form, before noun) ✓. “El mío” (long form as pronoun, masc. to match “el abrigo”) ✓.
Tengo que llamar a mis amigos esta tarde.
✔ Correct! “Mis” is the plural of “mi”, agreeing with “amigos” (plural). ✓
Los zapatos de ella son mejores que los míos.
✔ Correct! “Los míos” — masculine plural (agreeing with “zapatos”), used as pronoun. ✓
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4
Put the words in order
– Build the sentence with the correct possessive. Click the answer area to undo.
Sentence 1 — short form, feminine plural noun:
¿Dónde
están
tus
gafas?
Click words above…
Sentence 2 — long form as pronoun, feminine noun:
Esta
no
es
mi
chaqueta,
es
la
tuya.
Click words above…
Sentence 3 — “a friend of mine” structure:
Una
compañera
mía
me
llamó
ayer.
Click words above…
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