Spanish grammar · Beginner
Spanish Possessive Adjectives: Mi, Tu, Su, Nuestro
Spanish possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su, nuestro, vuestro, su) match the THING owned, not the owner. Most agree in number only; nuestro / vuestro also agree in gender. Spanish often uses definite articles instead of possessives with body parts and clothing.
Mi casa, tus libros.
My house, your books.
What it is
Spanish possessive adjectives go BEFORE the noun and match the THING owned (not the owner). Most have just two forms (singular / plural): mi / mis, tu / tus, su / sus. Two have four forms (agreeing in gender too): nuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestras, vuestro / vuestra / vuestros / vuestras. Spanish often replaces possessives with definite articles for body parts and clothing.
Mi casa (my house), mis libros (my books), mi/mis matches the noun's number. Nuestra casa (our house), nuestros libros (our books), nuestro/a/os/as matches both gender and number.
How to spot it
Look for mi, tu, su, nuestro, vuestro, mis, tus, sus, nuestros, etc. BEFORE a noun.
- Mi casa es grande. — My house is big.
- Sus libros están aquí. — His/her/their books are here.
- Nuestra familia. — Our family.
Don't confuse tu (your, no accent) with tú (you, with accent). Possessive vs. pronoun.
Spanish Possessive Adjectives Quick Reference
Spanish possessive adjectives, short forms
| Owner | Singular | Plural |
|---|---|---|
| yo (mi) | mi | mis |
| tú (tu) | tu | tus |
| él/ella/Ud./ellos/Uds. (su) | su | sus |
| nosotros (nuestro) | nuestro / nuestra | nuestros / nuestras |
| vosotros (vuestro) | vuestro / vuestra | vuestros / vuestras |
Common Spanish Possessive Adjectives Examples in Spanish
Spanish possessive adjectives in real contexts:
Singular & Plural Agreement (Mi / Mis)
- Mi libro / mis libros.
- My book / my books.
- Tu casa / tus casas.
- Your house / your houses.
- Su amigo / sus amigos.
- His friend / his friends.
Mi, tu, su agree in NUMBER with the noun. Same form for masculine / feminine.
Nuestro / Vuestro, Gender Too
- Nuestro coche / nuestra casa.
- Our car / our house.
- Nuestros amigos / nuestras amigas.
- Our (male) friends / our (female) friends.
- Vuestro perro / vuestra gata.
- Your dog / your cat. (Spain)
Nuestro and vuestro have four forms, agreeing in both gender and number. The only Spanish possessives that do.
Su, Ambiguous (His / Her / Their / Your Formal)
- Su libro. (his / her / their / your formal)
- His / Her / Their / Your book.
- Su libro de él.
- His book. (disambiguated)
Su can refer to him, her, them, or you formal. To clarify, add de él, de ella, de ellos, de usted.
Article Instead of Possessive (Body Parts)
- Me duele la cabeza. (not mi cabeza)
- My head hurts.
- Lávate las manos.
- Wash your hands.
- Me puse el abrigo.
- I put on my coat.
Spanish uses the article (la, los, el) with body parts and clothing when the owner is obvious from context. Reflexive or indirect object pronoun already conveys whose.
How to Use Spanish Possessive Adjectives
Possessive Goes BEFORE the Noun
Short-form possessives always precede the noun: mi casa, tu libro, su amigo. There's also a long form (mío, tuyo) that comes after, used differently.
Mi casa, tu libro, su amigo, nuestra familia.
My house, your book, his friend, our family.
Short form before noun. Long form (mío, tuyo, suyo) after noun for emphasis or with ser (es mío = it's mine).
Match the Thing Owned, Not the Owner
Possessive agrees with the noun (the thing owned), NOT the owner. A man's house is still mi casa (feminine), not mi caso.
Mi (yo, male) casa. Su (her) libro / sus libros.
My house. Her book / her books.
Different from English in cases like nuestro / nuestra, match the gender of what you possess, not yourself.
Nuestro / Vuestro Have Four Forms
Only nuestro and vuestro have feminine and plural forms. Mi, tu, su have just two forms each (singular / plural).
Nuestro / nuestra / nuestros / nuestras. Vuestro / vuestra / vuestros / vuestras.
Our (m./f. sg/pl). Your (m./f. sg/pl). (Spain only)
Nuestro libro, nuestra casa, nuestros amigos, nuestras amigas, match both gender and number.
Use Article + Reflexive for Body Parts
Spanish doesn't use possessives with body parts when ownership is obvious. Instead, uses definite article + reflexive verb.
Me lavo las manos. Se rompió la pierna. Me duele la cabeza.
I wash my hands. He broke his leg. My head hurts.
If a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se) already shows possession, use the article (la, los), not mi / tu / su.
Common Mistakes with Spanish Possessive Adjectives
Incorrect: Me duele mi cabeza. — My head hurts. (wrong, use article)
Correct: Me duele la cabeza. — My head hurts.
With body parts and clothing, Spanish uses the article (la, los, el), not the possessive (mi). The pronoun me already shows whose head.
Incorrect: Nuestro casa. (wrong gender) — Our house.
Correct: Nuestra casa. — Our house.
Nuestro must agree with the noun's gender. Casa is feminine, so nuestra. Same for nuestros / nuestras for plural.
Incorrect: Tú libro está aquí. (wrong, pronoun vs. possessive) — Your book is here.
Correct: Tu libro está aquí. — Your book is here.
The possessive tu (no accent) means your. Tú (with accent) means you. Don't confuse them.
Article Instead of Possessive (Body Parts)
Body Parts & Clothing → Article
When ownership is obvious from context (reflexive verb, indirect object), Spanish uses the article, not the possessive.
- Me lavo las manos. (NOT mis manos)
- I wash my hands.
- Se rompió la pierna.
- He broke his leg.
- Me duele la cabeza.
- My head hurts.
- Me puse el abrigo.
- I put on my coat.
The reflexive (me, se) or indirect object (me, le) already shows whose. Adding mi / tu / su would be redundant.
Use Possessive When Ownership Is Ambiguous
If context doesn't make ownership clear, you can still use the possessive.
- Mi casa es más grande que la tuya. (emphasizing ownership)
- My house is bigger than yours.
- Su sonrisa es preciosa.
- His / Her smile is precious.
Body parts and clothing default to the article, but possessives are still valid when emphasizing ownership.
Spanish Possessive Adjectives FAQs
- What are Spanish possessive adjectives?
- Words like mi, tu, su, nuestro, vuestro that go BEFORE a noun to show ownership. They match the THING owned (number for most; both gender and number for nuestro / vuestro).
- Does mi change for gender?
- No. Mi (and tu, su) have just two forms each: singular (mi) and plural (mis). Same form for masculine and feminine. Mi casa, mi coche, mis libros, mis casas.
- How do I know whether su means his, her, their, or your formal?
- Context. If ambiguous, add a clarifier: su libro de él (his book), su libro de ella (her book), su libro de ustedes (your book, plural formal).
- Why does Spanish use the article instead of possessive for body parts?
- When a reflexive or indirect object pronoun already shows ownership, the possessive is redundant. Me lavo las manos (I wash my hands), Me duele la cabeza (My head hurts). Spanish prefers economy.
- What's the difference between tu and tú in Spanish?
- Tu (no accent) = your (possessive). Tú (with accent) = you (subject pronoun). Tu casa = your house. Tú hablas = you speak.