Spanish possessive adjectives: mi, tu, su, nuestro, and more

Spanish possessive adjectives

What are Spanish possessive adjectives?

Short possessives come before a noun: mi libro, tus llaves, su casa, nuestra clase. They usually identify the possessor without using a separate subject pronoun.

Mi, tu, and su change only for number: mi/mis, tu/tus, su/sus. Nuestro and vuestro change for both gender and number: nuestra amiga, nuestros amigos, vuestras preguntas.

Su and sus can mean his, her, its, your formal, or their. When context is unclear, Spanish normally clarifies with de él, de ella, de usted, de ellos, or de ustedes.

Spanish possessive-adjective chart at a glance

One possessor: mi/mis for yo; tu/tus for tú; su/sus for él, ella, usted, or a named person.

More than one possessor: nuestro/a/os/as for nosotros/as; vuestro/a/os/as for vosotros/as; su/sus for ellos, ellas, or ustedes.

Agreement follows the possessed noun: nuestra casa but nuestro coche; mis libros but mi libro.

Short forms precede the noun and cannot stand alone. Long forms such as mío, tuya, nuestro, and suyas follow a noun or appear after ser: una amiga mía; la mochila es tuya.

32 Spanish possessive-adjective examples

Start with the short forms, then compare agreement, ambiguous su, and the long forms used after a noun or ser.

Learn the system in four blocks

Separate short forms, agreement, ambiguous su, and long forms before mixing them in conversation.

How do you choose the right possessive?

Identify the possessor first: yo → mi/mis; tú → tu/tus; nosotros/as → nuestro/a/os/as. For él, ella, usted, ellos, ellas, and ustedes, start with su/sus.

Then look at the noun. Singular or plural controls every short possessive; gender also controls nuestro and vuestro. The owner’s gender does not change the form: his house and her house are both su casa.

Use de + person to clarify su, and remember the accents: tu casa has no accent, while tú eres means “you are”; mi libro has no accent, while para mí means “for me”.

Hola Cards is a Spanish flashcard app from holacards.org for iOS and Android. It is free to download, requires no account, has no ads, and works offline. The interface is available in English, Russian, and Portuguese; cards support translations in 28 languages and 18 practice and game modes. You can import these sentences into a custom group for audio, writing, pronunciation, and spaced review. Hola Cards is not a complete grammar course and does not automatically label possessive-adjective agreement, so use the chart and notes on this page for the rule.

Continue with subject pronouns, noun gender, plural nouns, demonstratives, and Spanish flashcards with sentences.

Spanish subject pronouns / Spanish noun gender rules / Spanish plural noun rules / Este, ese, and aquel / Spanish flashcards with sentences

A five-minute practice routine

1. Read the short-form chart aloud once.
2. Change four singular nouns to plural and update the possessive.
3. Change coche to casa and update nuestro or vuestro.
4. Clarify four examples with de él, de ella, de ellos, or de ustedes.
5. Turn two short forms into long forms: mi amiga → una amiga mía.

Grammar references

The A1–A2 forms, syntax, agreement, meanings, and mi/mí and tu/tú spelling contrasts were checked against these sources.

• Instituto Cervantes: A1–A2 possessive forms and syntax
• RAE–ASALE: meanings expressed by Spanish possessives
• Instituto Cervantes: mi/mí and tu/tú spelling contrasts

**Spanish possessive adjectives: 32 examples**

Mi libro está aquí. - My book is here.
Mis libros están aquí. - My books are here.
Tu hermana vive en Sevilla. - Your sister lives in Seville.
Tus amigos llegan mañana. - Your friends arrive tomorrow.
Su coche es nuevo. - His / her / your formal / their car is new.
Sus llaves están en la mesa. - His / her / your formal / their keys are on the table.
Nuestro profesor habla despacio. - Our teacher speaks slowly.
Nuestra clase empieza a las nueve. - Our class starts at nine.
Nuestros vecinos son amables. - Our neighbours are kind.
Nuestras maletas están listas. - Our suitcases are ready.
Vuestro tren sale pronto. - Your train leaves soon. (Spain)
Vuestra mesa está junto a la ventana. - Your table is by the window. (Spain)
Vuestros billetes están aquí. - Your tickets are here. (Spain)
Vuestras preguntas son importantes. - Your questions are important. (Spain)
Mi madre y mi padre trabajan aquí. - My mother and father work here.
Nuestro problema no es difícil. - Our problem is not difficult.
Nuestra solución es sencilla. - Our solution is simple.
Su casa es pequeña. - His / her / their house is small.
Sus casas son pequeñas. - Their houses are small.
Mi amigo tiene dos perros. - My friend has two dogs.
Nuestra amiga habla portugués. - Our friend speaks Portuguese.
Vuestros hijos estudian juntos. - Your children study together. (Spain)
Su coche está fuera; hablo del coche de ella. - Her car is outside; I mean her car.
Su oficina está arriba; es la oficina de usted. - Your office is upstairs; I mean your formal office.
Sus hijos viven en Chile; hablo de los hijos de ellos. - Their children live in Chile; I mean those men’s children.
Su reserva está confirmada; es la reserva de ustedes. - Your reservation is confirmed; I mean your group’s reservation.
Es una amiga mía. - She is a friend of mine.
Es una decisión tuya. - It is a decision of yours.
La mochila es suya. - The backpack is his / hers / yours formal / theirs.
Los libros son nuestros. - The books are ours.
Las llaves son vuestras. - The keys are yours. (Spain)
No es tu problema; es mío. - It is not your problem; it is mine.