Spanish Possessive Adjectives: Key Rules Explained With Examples (Use & Omit)
You are the new employee at a company, and a friendly co-worker is showing you around the office.
As she explains whose workspace are whose, she uses several Spanish possessive adjectives:
“Este es tu escritorio. La sala de reuniones tiene su proyector y sus sillas. Puedes usar su microondas en la cocina. Esa es la oficina de nuestro jefe, con su propio baño. Mis compañeros y yo tenemos nuestros escritorios unidos.” (This is your desk. The meeting room has its projector and chairs. You can use its microwave in the kitchen. That’s our boss’s office, with his own bathroom. My colleagues and I have our desks combined.)
You’re at awe of all the use of Spanish possessive adjectives. You want to learn them, too!
Lucky for you Spring Spanish (a project I co-founded) has a great video explaining (almost) everything about the topic, and after that, you can read our in-depth blog post about possessive adjectives in Spanish:
1. What are Spanish possessive adjectives?
You most certainly know that adjectives are descriptive words that modify nouns.
Effortless Answers
Possessive adjectives are a type of adjective that indicates possession or ownership of the noun they modify.
In Spanish, possessive adjectives have different singular and plural forms, and they MUST agree with the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the noun.
In the phrase “mi libro” (my book), the possessive adjective “mi” shows that the book belongs to me. The adjective “mi” is singular and matches the masculine, singular noun “libro.”
Possessive adjectives are placed before the noun they modify, just like other adjectives in Spanish:
- Sus zapatos son elegantes. (Their shoes are elegant.)
- Mi madre cocina delicioso. (My mother cooks deliciously.)
- Nuestro jardín tiene muchas flores. (Our garden has many flowers.)
Let’s look at all the different types of possessive adjectives in Spanish!
2. Different types of possessive adjectives in Spanish
There are two main categories of possessive adjectives in Spanish: short form (unstressed) and long form (stressed). The short forms are more common in conversations.
Short form Spanish possessive adjectives with examples
The short form, or unstressed, possessive adjectives are used in most situations when talking about possession.
Singular short form Spanish possessive adjectives
| Person | Singular possessive adjective in Spanish | Example |
|---|---|---|
| my | mi | Mi libro es interesante. (My book is interesting.) |
| your | tu | Tu coche es rápido. (Your car is fast.) |
| his/her/its | su | Su casa es grande. (His/Her house is big.) Su perro es leal. (His dog is loyal.) Su color es azul. (Its color is blue.) |
Plural short form Spanish possessive adjectives
| Person | Plural Spanish possessive adjective | Example |
|---|---|---|
| our | nuestro (masculine), nuestra (feminine) | Nuestra familia es unida. (Our family is united.) |
| your (plural, informal) | vuestro (masculine), vuestra (feminine) | Vuestra casa es hermosa. (Your (plural, informal) house is beautiful.) |
| your (plural, formal) | sus | Sus amigos son divertidos. (Your (formal) friends are fun.) |
| their | sus | Sus hijos son inteligentes. (Their children are intelligent.) |
Please also note that ‘vuestro/vuestra‘ is only used in Spain, not Latin America, and ‘su‘ and ‘sus‘ are used for usted/ustedes as well as él/ella/ellos/ellas.
Long form Spanish possessive adjectives with examples
The long form, or stressed, possessive adjectives are less common. They are used for emphasis or contrast, or when the noun is omitted.
Here is a table of the long form singular possessive adjectives:
Singular long form Spanish possessive adjectives
| Person | Singular Long Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| mine | mío (masculine), mía (feminine) | El libro es mío. (The book is mine.) |
| yours (singular, informal) | tuyo (masculine), tuya (feminine) | La casa es tuya. (The house is yours.) |
| yours (singular, formal) | suyo (masculine), suya (feminine) | El coche es suyo. (The car is yours (formal).) |
| his/hers/its | suyo (masculine), suya (feminine) | La decisión es suya. (The decision is his/hers/its.) |
Plural long form Spanish possessive adjectives
| Person | Plural Long Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| mine | míos (masculine), mías (feminine) | Los libros son míos. (The books are mine.) |
| yours (singular, informal) | tuyos (masculine), tuyas (feminine) | Las casas son tuyas. (The houses are yours.) |
| yours (singular, formal) | suyos (masculine), suyas (feminine) | Los coches son suyos. (The cars are yours (formal).) |
| ours | nuestros (masculine), nuestras (feminine) | Los jardines son nuestros. (The gardens are ours.) |
| yours (plural, informal) | vuestros (masculine), vuestras (feminine) | Las bicicletas son vuestras. (The bicycles are yours (plural).) |
| his/hers/theirs | suyos (masculine), suyas (feminine) | Las decisiones son suyas. (The decisions are his/hers/theirs.) |
3. When to use possessive adjectives in Spanish?
You need to use a possessive adjective in Spanish anytime you want to express that something belongs to someone or something.
This is true when talking about physical objects, relationships and body parts, too.
Some very common situations where possessive adjectives are used:
| Situation | Spanish example with possessive adjective | English |
|---|---|---|
| Describing ownership of objects | Mi carro es rojo. | My car is red. |
| Talking about family members | Nuestros padres viven en México. | Our parents live in Mexico. |
| Referring to body parts | Me duele mi cabeza. | My head hurts me. |
| Expressing relationships | Juan es su novio. | Juan is her boyfriend. |
| Indicating possession with gerunds | Estoy cansado de hacer tu trabajo. | I’m tired of doing your work. |
Easily explained, if the relationship between two objects or people needs to be explicitly stated, you’ll use a possessive adjective.
4. Spanish possessive pronouns vs possessive adjectives in Spanish
To take your skills to the next level, you need to understand the difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns in Spanish grammar.
While related, they are used for different purposes. On Effortless Conversations, we have a dedicated article for possessive pronouns, so make sure to check that one out!
Possessive adjectives, as we’ve covered, modify nouns to indicate possession:
- Nuestro viaje fue inolvidable. (Our trip was unforgettable.)
- Su jardín tiene muchas flores. (Their garden has many flowers.)
- Mi teléfono está descargado. (My phone is dead.)
- Tus zapatos son cómodos. (Your shoes are comfortable.)
- Su amigo es muy simpático. (His/Her friend is very nice.)
Possessive pronouns, on the other hand, replace the noun entirely when the possession is already understood from context:
- Este libro no es mío, es el tuyo. (This book is not mine, it’s yours.)
- Esa chaqueta negra es la suya. (That black jacket is hers.)
- El jardín es nuestro, no el suyo. (The garden is ours, not theirs.)
- El reloj que llevas es el mío. (The watch you are wearing is mine.)
- Este perro no es suyo, es el mío. (This dog is not yours, it’s mine.)
So while possessive adjectives come before nouns, possessive pronouns substitute for the noun itself.
Possessive pronouns require the definite article (el, la, los, las) before them, while possessive adjectives directly modify the noun without an article.
5. When to omit Spanish possessive adjectives?
And… here’s the catch!
You can actually omit Spanish possessive adjectives in some cases. It’s not as complex as you think it is, because most of the time, it’s pretty simple and you’d figure this out on your own.
Still, for the sake of completeness, here’s every context where you can omit the Spanish possessive adjectives – with explanations on why you can leave them out from your Spanish sentences!
Omit Spanish possessive adjectives when the noun is clear from context
You know how sometimes things are just obvious?
That’s when you can drop the possessive adjective in Spanish. It’s like your brain fills in the blanks automatically.
- ¿Dónde dejé las llaves? (Where did I leave the keys?) – No need for “mis llaves” because, duh, whose keys would you be talking about?
- Me duele la cabeza. (My head hurts.) – It’s pretty clear it’s your own head, right?
- Voy a lavar el coche. (I’m going to wash the car.) – Unless you’re a professional car washer, it’s probably your car.
Omit possessive adjectives in Spanish when using certain expressions
Some Spanish expressions are like a package deal – they come without possessive adjectives, and that’s just how it is.
- Estoy en casa. (I’m at home.) – No need to say “mi casa” because it’s understood.
- Se me olvidó el nombre. (I forgot the name.) – It’s obvious you forgot it, not someone else.
- Perdí el control. (I lost control.) – Again, whose control? Yours, of course!
No need for Spanish possessive adjectives in titles or headings
When you’re dealing with titles or headings, brevity is key. Possessive adjectives? Ain’t nobody got time for that!
- Libros favoritos (Favorite books) – Could be anyone’s favorite books, so no need to specify.
- Recetas de abuela (Grandma’s recipes) – It’s understood these are traditional recipes, not necessarily your grandma’s.
- Consejos para viajeros (Tips for travelers) – General advice, not your personal tips.
Leave Spanish possessive adjectives when discussing general concepts
When you’re talking about big ideas or general stuff, possessive adjectives often take a backseat.
- La educación es importante. (Education is important.) – We’re talking about education in general, not anyone’s specific education.
- El amor lo conquista todo. (Love conquers all.) – It’s about love as a concept, not your love or my love.
- La vida es corta. (Life is short.) – We’re philosophizing here, not talking about anyone’s particular life.
Omit possessive adjectives when using plural nouns
Sometimes, when you’re talking about groups or collections, you can skip the possessive adjective if it’s clear who you’re referring to.
- Los niños crecen tan rápido. (Children grow up so fast.) – Could be anyone’s children, or children in general.
- Los vecinos son ruidosos. (The neighbors are noisy.) – In context, it’s clear you’re talking about your own neighbors.
- Las mascotas necesitan cuidado. (Pets need care.) – We’re talking about pets in general, not specifically yours.
In informal speech – understood without Spanish possessive adjectives
In casual chats, people often drop possessive adjectives when it’s obvious what they’re talking about.
- Voy a sacar perro. (I’m going to walk the dog.) – In a casual context, it’s clear you mean your dog.
- Olvidé teléfono en casa. (I forgot my phone at home.) – Again, in informal speech, it’s understood you mean your own phone.
- ¿Has visto llaves? (Have you seen the keys?) – In a home setting, it’s clear you’re asking about your own keys.
6. Practice worksheet for Spanish possessive adjectives
Fill in the blanks with the appropriate Spanish possessive adjective:
If you want to learn more, here’s your chance: just click this green button, and you’ll be well on your way to practice other Spanish grammar topics with our Full Practice Worksheet Library!
7. Learn more Spanish with Conversation Based Chunking
Some final tips: Use possessive adjectives frequently, just like in English. Don’t confuse them with possessive pronouns, which replace the noun entirely. And pay special attention to the different plural forms based on gender.
The best way to truly learn possessive adjectives is through Conversation Based Chunking – listening to them in context through real conversational examples and using the in real-life conversations, too.
Chunking allows you to pick up the natural flow of how possessive adjectives are used by native speakers. If you click the button below, you’ll learn more about the method that will change your language learning journey.
