Spanish vocabulary · Beginner
My in Spanish: Mi and Mis
Mi / Mis · possessive adjective · mee
My in Spanish is mi before a singular noun and mis before a plural noun. Unlike English my, Spanish possessives do not change based on the gender of the noun — mi works for both mi hermano (my brother) and mi hermana (my sister). The long-form possessive mío/mía goes after the noun or stands alone.
Mi is simply mee, one short syllable. It never carries an accent mark — that would make it mí (me, as an object pronoun), which is a different word entirely.
Mi casa es tu casa.
My house is your house.
My in Spanish: Quick Reference
Below are the most common Spanish words for my, with pronunciation and regional usage notes.
| Spanish | English | Pronunciation | Region / Register |
|---|---|---|---|
| mi / mis | my | mee | Default, widely understood |
| mío / mía | my | mine (possessive pronoun) — used after the noun or standalone |
How Native Speakers Use Mi / Mis
Real example sentences across three contexts you'll actually run into.
Singular possession
Mi teléfono se quedó sin batería otra vez.
My phone ran out of battery again.
Mi is used before any singular noun regardless of its gender.
Plural possession
Mis amigos llegan mañana desde Argentina.
My friends arrive tomorrow from Argentina.
Mis is the plural form — use it before any plural noun: mis libros, mis ideas, mis padres.
Long-form possessive
Ese libro no es tuyo, es mío.
That book isn't yours, it's mine.
Mío is the standalone form meaning mine. It agrees in gender and number: mío, mía, míos, mías.
Avoid These Mistakes When Using Mi / Mis
Adding an accent to mi
Incorrect: Mí casa está cerca del parque.
Correct: Mi casa está cerca del parque.
Mi (no accent) is the possessive adjective meaning my. Mí (with accent) is a prepositional pronoun meaning me, as in para mí (for me). The accent changes the word entirely.
Matching mi to the noun's gender
Incorrect: Ma hermana vive en Madrid.
Correct: Mi hermana vive en Madrid.
Spanish possessives before the noun (mi, tu, su) do not change for gender. There is no ma or mo form. Mi works for all genders.
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Common Questions About My in Spanish
- How do you say my in Spanish?
- My in Spanish is mi before a singular noun and mis before a plural noun. The possessive does not change for gender — mi hermano, mi hermana, mis libros, mis ideas all use the same forms.
- What is the difference between mi and mí?
- Mi without an accent is the possessive adjective (my): mi casa, mi perro. Mí with an accent is a prepositional pronoun (me): para mí, sobre mí. The accent completely changes the meaning.
- When do you use mío instead of mi?
- Mío goes after the noun or stands alone as a pronoun. Un amigo mío (a friend of mine), ese es mío (that one is mine). Mi always comes before the noun, while mío replaces or follows it.