A1 · Pronouns
Possessives: mi, tu, el mío
Short before the noun, long with an article on its own.
At a glance
- Remember
- Short before the noun, long with an article after — and on your own body just the article.
- Form
- mi, tu, su, nuestro/-a, vuestro/-a, sushort, before the noun
- Signal words
- mi
- tu
- su
- nuestro
- el mío
- la tuya
- de él
- Trap
- Wrong:Me lavo mis manos.Right:Me lavo las manos.
Your turn
5 exercises on this topic. Your answers are checked in the browser; none of them leaves your device.
Now write it yourself4 sentences on this topic, typed and checked instantly.
The form
The forms side by side
All the forms in one overview: first what each one stands for, then the form in Spanish, so you can compare them directly.
| short, before the noun | mi, tu, su, nuestro/-a, vuestro/-a, su |
| plural of those | mis, tus, sus, nuestros, vuestros, sus |
| long, with an article | el mío, el tuyo, el suyo, el nuestro |
| after the noun | un amigo mío, una idea tuya |
| clearing up su | el coche de él, la casa de usted |
The rules one by one
The form this topic is aboutThe word that calls for it
The determiner agrees with what is owned, not with the owner.
Mis padres viven en Valencia.My parents live in Valencia.
On its own the long form needs the article.
Mi bolígrafo no escribe; ¿me dejas el tuyo?My pen does not write; will you lend me yours?
After ser the article drops.
La culpa es nuestra.The fault is ours.
With parts of the body and clothing the article replaces the possessive.
Me duele el brazo.My arm hurts.
Example sentences
Nuestra casa está al final de la calle.Our house is at the end of the street.
¿Es tuya esta chaqueta?Is this jacket yours?
Un amigo mío trabaja allí.A friend of mine works there.
Sus hijos ya son mayores.Their children are grown up now.
6 more example sentences
Tus llaves están en la mesa.Your keys are on the table.
¿Dónde está el nuestro?Where is ours?
Es una idea suya, no mía.It is her idea, not mine.
Se puso el abrigo y salió.He put on his coat and went out.
Nuestros vecinos son muy amables.Our neighbours are very kind.
El móvil de usted está aquí.Your phone is here.
The trap English speakers fall into
Watch out
With parts of the body and clothing Spanish does not say «my» but the article: Me lavo las manos — literally «I wash myself the hands». Whose hands they are is already in the reflexive pronoun; a mis manos would be saying it twice and sounds as though they were special hands.
The full explanation
Read it all · about 1 min
Before the noun come the short forms: mi, tu, su, nuestro, vuestro, su. They agree with what is owned, not with the owner — mis libros, even if only one person owns them. Only nuestro and vuestro have a gender.
On their own or after the noun come the long forms with an article: el mío, la tuya, los nuestros. They answer the question «whose» and replace the noun entirely.
su is ambiguous: his, her, your and their. Where that would be unclear, Spanish prefers to say it outright with de él, de ella, de usted — not a makeshift but the usual solution.
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The verbs on this page, in every form: ser · estar · dejar · escribir · trabajar · vivir · doler