Learn everything you need to know about how to use Spanish possessive adjectives.

Picture this: You’re on a wonderful vacation in Spain and have just met a group of pleasant locals. You want to share with them stories about your family and your home, or maybe you want to share your thoughts about your favorite book…but something’s wrong; you freeze! How does one say “my book” or “your house” in Spanish? 

Enter possessive adjectives, the small words that make a big difference in everyday conversations.

You might think that possessive adjectives are hard. Don’t worry, this is common in Spanish learners. Many of my students struggle on how to say “my,” “your,” or “our” in Spanish. But if you’ve had this same problem, you’ve come to the correct place! 

In this blog post, we’ll break down Spanish possessive adjectives in a way that’s simple to comprehend, enjoyable to practice, and extremely useful in real-world discussions. So let’s get started!

Also for you: 50 Most Common Spanish Adjectives

What Are Spanish Possessive Adjectives?

Possessive adjectives are words that convey ownership or relationship. In English, we utilize terms like “my,” “your,” and “their.” Possessive adjectives in Spanish vary depending on who owns the item, exactly as they do in English.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

English	Spanish (singular noun)	Spanish (plural noun)
My	Mi	Mis
Your (informal)	Tu	Tus
His/Her/Its/Your (formal)	Su	Sus
Our	Nuestro/Nuestra	Nuestros/Nuestras
Your (plural, Spain)	Vuestro/Vuestra	Vuestros/Vuestras
Their/Your (plural, Latam)	Su	Sus

Now that we have the list, let’s break things down further!

How to Use Possessive Adjectives in Spanish

Using possessive adjectives in Spanish is pretty straightforward, but there are a few key differences from English.

1. They Agree in Number (and Sometimes Gender)

Possessive adjectives in Spanish must have the same number as the nouns they describe. This indicates that if the noun is plural, the possessive adjective must also be plural.

For example:

• Mi casa (My house) → Mis casas (My houses)
• Tu amigo (Your friend) → Tus amigos (Your friends)

For “nuestro” and “vuestro,” they must also agree in gender with the noun:

• Nuestro coche (Our car) – masculine
• Nuestra casa (Our house) – feminine
• Nuestros coches (Our cars) – masculine plural
• Nuestras casas (Our houses) – feminine plural

So, always check both number (singular/plural) and gender (masculine/feminine) when using “nuestro” and “vuestro.”

2. The Word “Su” Can Be Tricky

You may have noticed that su and sus might express his, her, it, your (formal), or their. Because it can refer to numerous people, it is not always clear who “owns” the object.

For example:

• Su libro could mean “his book,” “her book,” “your (formal) book,” or “their book.”

To avoid confusion, you can clarify by using de + person’s name or pronoun:

• El libro de María (María’s book)
• El libro de ellos (Their book)

3. Possessive Adjectives Always Come Before the Noun

Possessive adjectives, unlike some other Spanish adjectives, are always used before the nouns they modify.

• Mi perro (My dog)
• Tus zapatos (Your shoes)
• Nuestra profesora (Our teacher)

This is just like English, so it should feel pretty natural!

Stressed vs. Unstressed Possessive Adjectives

Did you know that Spanish has two forms of possessive adjectives? So far, we’ve been discussing unstressed possessive adjectives (like mi, tu, and su), which always come before the noun. However, Spanish also features stressed possessive adjectives, which are used for emphasis and normally appear after the noun.

Unstressed Possessive Adjectives (Before the Noun)

These are the adjectives we’ve already covered. They are used in everyday speech to indicate possession:

• Mi coche (My car)
• Tu casa (Your house)
• Su hermano (His/Her/Their brother)

Stressed Possessive Adjectives (After the Noun)

These adjectives emphasize the ownership and usually follow the noun:

• El coche mío (The car of mine / My car)
• La casa tuya (The house of yours / Your house)
• El hermano suyo (The brother of his/hers/theirs)

Here’s a full list of stressed possessive adjectives:

English	Singular (Masc. / Fem.)	Plural (Masc. / Fem.)
Mine	Mío / mía	Míos / mías
Yours (informal)	Tuyo / tuya	Tuyos / tuyas
His/Hers/Yours (formal)	Suyo / suya	Suyos / suyas
Ours	Nuestro / nuestra	Nuestros / nuestras
Yours (plural, Spain)	Vuestro / vuestra	Vuestros / vuestras
Theirs/Yours (plural, Latam)	Suyo / suya	Suyos / suyas

When to Use Stressed Possessive Adjectives

You’ll hear these a lot in conversation when emphasizing ownership:

• Ese libro es mío. (That book is mine.)
• ¿Esa chaqueta es tuya? (Is that jacket yours?)
• Los boletos son nuestros. (The tickets are ours.)

They are also commonly used with definite articles (el, la, los, las):

• El mío es azul. (Mine is blue.)
• La tuya es más bonita. (Yours is prettier.)

Understanding when to use stressed vs. unstressed possessive adjectives will help make your Spanish sound more natural and expressive!

Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Let’s go over some common mistakes learners make with Spanish possessive adjectives so you can avoid them!

1. Mixing Up “Tu” and “Tú”

• Tu (without an accent) means your.
• Tú (with an accent) means you.

Example: 

Tu coche es rojo. (Your car is red.) vs. Tú eres alto. (You are tall.)

2. Forgetting to Make the Adjective Plural

Incorrect: Mi amigos son simpáticos. ❌

Correct: Mis amigos son simpáticos. ✅

3. Using “Su” Without Clarification

If it’s unclear whose object you’re talking about, use de + person to clarify.

Instead of Su casa es grande. (Whose house? His? Their?), try La casa de Juan es grande.

Final Thoughts: Make Possessive Adjectives Your Best Friend!

Possessive adjectives in Spanish are vital for everyday speech, whether you’re introducing family members, discussing belongings, or making plans with friends. Once you’ve mastered them, they’ll feel natural!

What’s the greatest approach to mastering them? Practice, practice, practice! Try describing objects around you with possessive adjectives, or converse with a Spanish-speaking acquaintance about them in sentences.

If you’re ready to take your Spanish to the next level, why not book a lesson with one of our amazing tutors at Strommen? We’d love to help you master the Spanish possessive adjectives (and so much more) with fun, personalized lessons.