Possessive Adjectives in Spanish

This section explains the possessive adjectives in Spanish and includes tips for students studying foundation and higher tiers. Possessive adjectives are used to show ownership or possession, and they are similar to words like "my", "your", "his", "her" in English. In Spanish, possessive adjectives must agree with the noun they modify in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural), but they do not change according to the gender of the person possessing the noun.

Forms of Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives in Spanish are used before the noun they describe. They are different depending on who the owner is (first person, second person, third person) and whether the noun is singular or plural.

Possessive Adjectives with Gender and Number Agreement

In Spanish, possessive adjectives agree with the gender and number of the noun they describe, not with the person who possesses the noun. This means you need to pay attention to whether the noun is singular or plural, and whether it is masculine or feminine.

Examples:

• Mi casa (My house)
  Casa is feminine and singular, so mi is used (which doesn’t change for gender).
• Mis casas (My houses)
  Casas is plural, so mis is used.
• Tu coche (Your car)
  Coche is masculine and singular, so tu is used.
• Tus coches (Your cars)
  Coches is plural, so tus is used.
• Su libro (His/her/their book)
  Libro is masculine and singular, so su is used.
• Sus libros (His/her/their books)
  Libros is plural, so sus is used.
• Nuestra escuela (Our school)
  Escuela is feminine and singular, so nuestra is used.
• Nuestros amigos (Our friends)
  Amigos is plural and masculine, so nuestros is used.

Forming Possessive Adjectives in Different Contexts

Possessive adjectives are usually placed before the noun in Spanish, just like in English.

Examples:

• Mi hermana (My sister)
• Nuestro perro (Our dog)
• Su madre (His/her/their mother)
• Vuestras mochilas (Your backpacks)

The possessive adjective agrees with the noun in gender and number. For example:

• Nuestro padre (Our father) — Padre is masculine and singular, so nuestro is used.
• Nuestras hermanas (Our sisters) — Hermanas is feminine and plural, so nuestras is used.

The Use of "Su" and "Sus"

In Spanish, su and sus can refer to "his", "her", "its", "their", or even "your" (formal). This can sometimes create confusion, but the context usually makes the meaning clear.

Examples:

• Su perro (His/her/their dog)
  It can refer to "his dog", "her dog", or "their dog", depending on the context.
• Sus perros (His/her/their dogs)
  Similarly, this can mean "his dogs", "her dogs", or "their dogs".
• Su casa (His/her/their house)
• Sus casas (His/her/their houses)

If you're talking to someone formally (using usted), su and sus also mean "your" in the formal sense:

• Su libro (Your book - formal)
• Sus libros (Your books - formal)

Special Case of "Vuestro" and "Vuestra"

In Spain, the possessive adjective vuestro/vuestra is used when addressing more than one person informally. This form does not exist in Latin America, where su and sus are used for both formal and informal plural.

Examples in Spain:

• Vuestro coche (Your car - plural informal in Spain)
• Vuestras casas (Your houses - plural informal in Spain)

In Latin America, su and sus would be used for both situations:

• Su coche (Your car - plural)
• Sus casas (Your houses - plural)

Higher Tier Example

For higher-tier students, the use of possessive adjectives might include more complex sentences that involve multiple possessors or the expression of relationships.

Example:

• Mis padres y tus amigos van a la fiesta.
  (My parents and your friends are going to the party.)
  Here, mis and tus are used to show possession, and they agree with the nouns padres (parents) and amigos (friends).

Another higher-tier example could involve possessive adjectives with su or sus when the possessor is ambiguous:

• Su coche está fuera de la casa.
  (His/her/their car is outside the house.)
  The meaning depends on the context: su could refer to "his", "her", or "their".

Summary of Key Rules

Possessive adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun: mi (my), mis (my), tu (your), tus (your), su (his/her/your), sus (his/her/your), nuestro/nuestra (our), nuestros/nuestras (our), vuestro/vuestra (your - Spain).

Place possessive adjectives before the noun: mi amigo (my friend), nuestros padres (our parents).

Use su and sus for "his", "her", "their", and "your" (formal), with context clarifying the meaning.

In Spain, vuestro/vuestra is used for plural informal "your" (your friends = vuestros amigos).

These notes should help you understand how to use possessive adjectives in Spanish for both foundation and higher-tier levels. Be sure to practice with various nouns and possessors to get comfortable with the gender and number agreement!