Possessive Adjectives: Short Forms

In Spanish, possession is often expressed using possessive adjectives. These are words equivalent to "my," "your," "his," etc. While Spanish has both long and short forms, the short forms are the most common and are placed before the noun they describe.

1. The Golden Rule of Agreement

This is the most important concept to master: Possessive adjectives must agree in number (singular or plural) with the thing being possessed, not the owner.

• If you own one thing, the adjective is singular (e.g., mi gato).
• If you own multiple things, the adjective must be plural (e.g., mis gatos).

Additionally, the forms for "our" and "your (plural)" must also agree in gender (masculine or feminine) with the thing possessed.

2. The Short Forms

First Person (The Speaker)

Mi / Mis (My)

• Mi casa es pequeña. (My house is small.)
• Mis amigos son divertidos. (My friends are fun.)

Nuestro / Nuestra / Nuestros / Nuestras (Our)

Note: This form changes for both gender and number.

• Nuestro coche es nuevo. (Our car is new.) — Masculine Singular object
• Nuestras llaves están aquí. (Our keys are here.) — Feminine Plural object

Second Person (The Listener)

Tu / Tus (Your — Informal Singular)

Use this with friends, family, or people you treat as "tú."

• Tu libro está en la mesa. (Your book is on the table.)
• Tus zapatos son bonitos. (Your shoes are nice.)

Vuestro / Vuestra / Vuestros / Vuestras (Your — Informal Plural)

Note: This form is used specifically in Spain to address a group of people informally (vosotros). It changes for both gender and number.

• Vuestro perro es grande. (Your dog is big.)
• Vuestras ideas son excelentes. (Your ideas are excellent.)

Third Person (Someone Else / Formal Address)

Su / Sus (His, Her, Its, Their, Your — Formal)

This adjective is unique because it covers multiple meanings. It does not have gender forms (it is the same for masculine and feminine owners), but it must agree in number with the object.

• Su hermana (His sister / Her sister / Your [formal] sister / Their sister)
• Sus problemas (His problems / Her problems / Your [formal] problems / Their problems)

3. Understanding Context with "Su"

Because su/sus can refer to so many different owners (he, she, it, you-formal, they), the meaning is usually determined by the context of the conversation. If the context is not clear, Spanish speakers often revert to using the preposition "de" for clarity.

• Es su libro. (It is his/her/their book.) — Ambiguous without context.
• Es el libro de Ana. (It is Ana's book.) — Clear.

4. Important Exception: Body Parts and Clothing

Unlike English, Spanish rarely uses possessive adjectives when referring to body parts or personal items (like clothing) if it is obvious who the owner is. Instead, Spanish uses the definite article (el, la, los, las).

• Me lavo las manos. (I wash my hands. — Literal: I wash myself the hands.)
• Le duele la cabeza. (His/Her head hurts. — Literal: The head hurts him/her.)
• Él se pone el abrigo. (He puts on his coat. — Literal: He puts on himself the coat.)