Possessive adjectives in Spanish are words that indicate ownership or possession. Unlike in English, Spanish possessive adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in number, and sometimes in gender. This agreement is crucial for correct usage and comprehension in Spanish.
Short Form Possessive Adjectives
Short form possessive adjectives are the most commonly used. They agree in number with the noun they modify but do not change based on gender.
Examples:
- mi/mis (my)
- tu/tus (your, singular informal)
- su/sus (his, her, its, their, your formal)
- nuestro/nuestros (our)
- vuestro/vuestros (your, plural informal)
Usage:
- “mi libro” (my book) → “mis libros” (my books)
- “tu casa” (your house) → “tus casas” (your houses)
- “su coche” (his/her/their car) → “sus coches” (his/her/their cars)
Long Form Possessive Adjectives
Long form possessive adjectives are less common and are typically used for emphasis or clarity. They agree in both number and gender with the noun they modify.
Examples:
- mío/mía/míos/mías (mine)
- tuyo/tuya/tuyos/tuyas (yours, singular informal)
- suyo/suya/suyos/suyas (his, hers, its, theirs, yours formal)
- nuestro/nuestra/nuestros/nuestras (ours)
- vuestro/vuestra/vuestros/vuestras (yours, plural informal)
Usage:
- “el libro mío” (my book, masculine singular)
- “la casa suya” (his/her/their house, feminine singular)
- “los libros nuestros” (our books, masculine plural)
- “las casas vuestras” (your houses, feminine plural)
Key Points to Remember
- Short form possessives only agree in number, not gender.
- Long form possessives agree in both number and gender.
- The noun’s gender determines the gender of the long form possessive.
- The number of items being possessed determines the number agreement for both short and long forms.
By mastering the agreement of possessive adjectives, Spanish learners can express ownership more accurately and naturally in their communication.