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Mastering possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives in Spanish

When you start studying Spanish, you’ll encounter a number of language-learning terms that you might not remember from when you learned your native language. It can sometimes be confusing to remember which terms are which, and one common misunderstanding that often arises relates to the possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives used in the Spanish language. If you’re struggling to grasp the meaning of these concepts and the differences between them—whether you’re studying online or taking Spanish courses in Madrid—don’t worry! With time, you’ll master both, and this blog post on the nuances of possession in Spanish will help you along the way.

Possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns in Spanish both indicate possession or ownership, although they differ in usage. In simple terms, possessive adjectives accompany the noun, clarifying who or what it belongs to. In contrast, possessive pronouns replace the noun entirely to avoid repetition while still indicating ownership.

What are possessive pronouns in Spanish?

Possessive pronouns in Spanish are words that indicate possession of something by replacing the noun. For example, instead of saying “mi coche” (my car), you can say “el mío” (mine) to more quickly point out your car when this noun has already been discussed or assumed.

With possessive pronouns in Spanish, they match the gender and number of the noun being referred to. That’s why it’s “el mío,” because the Spanish word for car is singular and masculine. If you were talking about multiple cars, you’d say “los míos,” and if you were talking about a singular feminine noun, you’d say “la mía.”

Here, we’ll go through the complete table of possessive pronouns in Spanish:

  • Mine: El mío (singular masculine), La mía (singular feminine), Los míos (plural masculine), Las mías (plural feminine)
  • Yours (singular): El tuyo (singular masculine), La tuya (singular feminine), Los tuyos (plural masculine), Las tuyas (plural feminine)
  • His/Hers/Its: El suyo (singular masculine), La suya (singular feminine), Los suyos (plural masculine), Las suyas (plural feminine)
  • Ours: El nuestro (singular masculine), La nuestra (singular feminine), Los nuestros (plural masculine), Las nuestras (plural feminine)
  • Yours (plural): El vuestro (singular masculine), La vuestra (singular feminine), Los vuestros (plural masculine), Las vuestras (plural feminine)
  • Theirs: El suyo (singular masculine), La suya (singular feminine), Los suyos (plural masculine), Las suyas (plural feminine)

What are possessive adjectives in Spanish?

Possessive adjectives in Spanish are words that indicate possession of something by accompanying the noun. For example, the “mi” in “mi coche” is a possessive adjective, as it describes the possession or ownership of the car.

The possessive adjective in Spanish should match the gender and number of the noun being referred to, although there are only gender distinctions for first-person plural (our) and second-person plural (your) adjectives.

Using the same example as above, if you were talking about owning multiple cars then the phrase with the possessive adjective in Spanish would be “mis coches”. Or, if we were talking about owning many bicycles as a group, we’d say “nuestras bicicletas”, with “nuestras” indicating that the noun is plural and feminine. 

Let’s now go through the complete table of possessive adjectives in Spanish:

  • My: Mi (singular masculine), Mi (singular feminine), Mis (plural masculine), Mis (plural feminine)
  • Your (singular): Tu (singular masculine), Tu (singular feminine), Tus (plural masculine), Tus (plural feminine)
  • His/Her/Its: Su (singular masculine), Su (singular feminine), Sus (plural masculine), Sus (plural feminine)
  • Our: Nuestro (singular masculine), Nuestra (singular feminine), Nuestros (plural masculine), Nuestras (plural feminine)
  • Your (plural): Vuestro (singular masculine), Vuestra (singular feminine), Vuestros (plural masculine), Vuestras (plural feminine)
  • Their: Su (singular masculine), Su (singular feminine), Sus (plural masculine), Sus (plural feminine)

What is the difference between possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives in Spanish?

Both possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives indicate possession in Spanish, but what exactly distinguishes them? In short, possessive adjectives are used with nouns, while possessive pronouns stand alone to replace nouns.

What possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns in Spanish have in common is that they both indicate possession and agree with the noun in terms of gender and number.

With practice and as you progress through online Spanish courses, you’ll quickly learn to tell the difference. A helpful tip for distinguishing between Spanish possessive pronouns and Spanish possessive adjectives is to check for a noun next to the possessive. If the noun being possessed is spelled out, then it’s a possessive adjective; if there is no noun, it’s a possessive pronoun.

 

Curso Intensivo Español
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