Chapter 9 · Expressing Ownership Section 9.1 — Possessive Adjectives
9.1 Possessive Adjectives 9.2 Describing Relationships 9.3 Clarifying Ownership

Spanish Grammar — Possessive Adjectives

Section 9.1  ·  Place possessive adjectives before the noun · match them to the noun's number (singular/plural) · nuestro/nuestra also matches gender · su/sus covers six different owners

📖 Introduction

Possessive adjectives tell you who owns something. In Spanish, they are placed before the noun — just like in English (my office, your keys, our team). However, two key rules set Spanish apart: (1) the possessive adjective must agree in number with the noun it describes — singular noun → singular form, plural noun → plural form. (2) Only nuestro/nuestra also changes for gender, matching masculine or feminine nouns.

The most versatile word is su/sus, which covers six different owners: your (formal), his, her, its, your (plural), and their. Context — the surrounding sentence — always makes clear who the owner is. Learning to read context alongside su is one of the most important skills in this chapter.

mi/mis — my su/sus — your/his/her/its/their nuestro/nuestra — our (matches gender) adjective agrees with the NOUN, not the owner goes BEFORE the noun — mi oficina, sus llaves

📋 Master Possessive Adjectives Reference Chart

Owner Singular Form Plural Form English
Yo (I) mi mis My
Tú (you informal) tu tus Your (informal)
Usted (you formal) su sus Your (formal)
Él / Ella (he / she) su sus His / Her / Its
Nosotros (we) nuestro nuestra ⚡ matches gender of noun nuestros nuestras Our
Ustedes (you all) su sus Your (plural)
Ellos / Ellas (they) su sus Their
■ mi/mis = I own it ■ tu/tus = tú owns it (informal) ■ su/sus = 5 different owners — context clarifies ■ nuestro/nuestra = only one that changes gender

⚡ The Versatile Su / Sus — Six Owners, One Word

Your (formal — Usted)
su
Su cita es a las diez.
Your appointment is at ten.
His (Él)
su
Él trabaja en su escritorio.
He works at his desk.
Her (Ella)
su
Ella busca su bolígrafo.
She looks for her pen.
Its (institution/object)
su
El hospital tiene sus reglas.
The hospital has its rules.
Their (Ellos/Ellas)
sus
Ellos abren sus libros.
They open their books.
Your (plural — Ustedes)
sus
¿Tienen ustedes sus documentos?
Do you all have your documents?
How to know who owns it: The word su itself does not tell you the owner — the subject of the sentence does. "Ella busca su bolígrafo" → subject is ella → ownership is hers. "Usted necesita su documento" → subject is usted → ownership is yours. Always look at who is acting to identify the owner of su/sus.

🔵 Nuestro / Nuestra — The Only Possessive That Changes Gender

🔵 Masculine Nouns
nuestroequipoour team
nuestrosistemaour system
nuestroshijosour children
nuestrosdocumentosour documents
🌸 Feminine Nouns
nuestraoficinaour office
nuestraciudadour city
nuestrascarpetasour folders
nuestrasreunionesour meetings
The nuestro rule: Match the gender AND number of the noun being possessed — not the gender of the owner. Nuestro equipo (masculine noun → nuestro) · Nuestra oficina (feminine noun → nuestra) · Nuestros documentos (masculine plural → nuestros) · Nuestras carpetas (feminine plural → nuestras). Mi/mis and su/sus do NOT change for gender — only nuestro does.

🔢 Agreement in Number — Match the Object, Not the Owner

Mi libro — one book I own
→
Mis libros — many books I own
Su casa — one house they own
→
Sus casas — many houses they own
Nuestro sistema — one system we have
→
Nuestros sistemas — many systems we have
Su cita — one appointment
→
Sus llaves — many keys
The number agreement rule: The possessive adjective matches the noun being owned — not the person who owns it. One person can own many things → mis documentos, sus llaves, nuestras carpetas. Many people can own one thing → su reporte (ellas own one report). The number of the owner is irrelevant — only the number of the owned noun matters.

📊 Vocabulary Chart: Possessive Adjectives — All Forms

OwnerSingularPluralEnglish
Yo mi mis My
Tú tu tus Your (informal)
Usted su sus Your (formal)
Él / Ella su sus His / Her / Its
Nosotros nuestro / nuestra nuestros / nuestras Our
Ustedes su sus Your (plural)
Ellos / Ellas su sus Their

1. My — Mi and Mis

mi = singular · mis = plural · matches the noun, not the owner

Use mi when the thing you own is singular — one item: mi oficina, mi documento, mi mochila. Use mis when the things you own are plural — multiple items: mis documentos, mis llaves, mis papeles. The word does not change for gender — mi works for both masculine and feminine nouns: mi libro (masculine) and mi carpeta (feminine). The only thing that triggers a change from mi to mis is the number of the noun being owned. Place the possessive directly before the noun — never after it: mi oficina ✓ · oficina mi ✗.

Mi vs. mí: Mi (no accent) = my possessive adjective. Mí (with accent) = me (pronoun used after prepositions: para mí = for me). They sound the same but serve different purposes.
✏️ Example Sentences — mi / mis:
  1. Mi oficina está en el tercer piso.
  2. Mis documentos son importantes para la reunión.
  3. Yo busco mi mochila azul en la sala de espera.
  4. ¿Dónde están mis papeles del reporte de hoy?
  5. Mi lugar en la mesa es al lado del director.

2. Your / His / Her / Its / Their — Su and Sus

su = five owners · context identifies the owner · sus = plural noun

Su is the most versatile possessive adjective in Spanish. It covers: your (formal — Usted), his (Él), her (Ella), its (an institution or object), your plural (Ustedes), and their (Ellos/Ellas). The form does not change based on the owner — it changes only based on the noun: su for singular nouns, sus for plural nouns. The owner is identified by context — specifically, by the subject of the sentence. In professional communication, su cita, su documento, sus llaves are some of the most frequently used possessive phrases when addressing clients or colleagues respectfully.

Tu/tus vs. tu/tú: The informal possessive tu (your — no accent) should not be confused with the subject pronoun tú (you — with accent). Tu libro = your book (informal). Tú lees tu libro = You read your book. When su is ambiguous for "your formal," you can always clarify with de usted. For informal you, use tu/tus.
✏️ Example Sentences — su / sus / tu / tus:
  1. Tu cita es a las diez de la mañana.
  2. Su cita es a las diez de la mañana, señor García.
  3. Tus llaves están sobre la mesa.
  4. Sus llaves están sobre la mesa de recepción.
  5. Ella busca su bolígrafo en su escritorio.
  6. El hospital tiene sus reglas y todos las respetan.

3. Our — Nuestro / Nuestra / Nuestros / Nuestras

only possessive that changes gender · match noun gender AND number · 4 forms

Nuestro/nuestra is unique — it is the only possessive adjective that changes form for both gender and number. All other possessives (mi/mis, su/sus) only change for number. Use nuestro for masculine singular nouns, nuestra for feminine singular, nuestros for masculine plural, and nuestras for feminine plural. The key reminder: the gender you match is the noun's gender, not the gender of anyone in the group of owners. A team of women saying "our office" still uses nuestra oficina — because oficina is feminine — and "our team" would be nuestro equipo because equipo is masculine.

✏️ Example Sentences — nuestro/nuestra:
  1. Nuestro equipo trabaja muy bien en este proyecto.
  2. Nuestra oficina es amplia y muy bien organizada.
  3. Nuestros hijos estudian español en la misma escuela.
  4. Nuestras carpetas son rojas — fáciles de identificar.
  5. Nosotros amamos nuestra ciudad y nuestra comunidad.

4. Agreement in Number — The Object Rules, Not the Owner

adjective matches the NOUN · one owner → many things = plural adjective · always check the noun

The most common error with possessive adjectives is matching them to the owner instead of the owned noun. One person can own many items — in that case, the possessive is plural even though there is only one owner: mis documentos (my [= one person] documents [= many items]). Conversely, many people can share one item: su reporte (their [= many people] report [= one item]). The rule is absolute — look at the noun immediately after the possessive and count it. If it is singular, use the singular form. If it is plural, use the plural form. The owner's number is completely irrelevant to this decision.

Quick check: After writing a possessive, immediately look at the noun that follows. Is it singular or plural? That noun's number determines your possessive form — not the subject of the sentence.
✏️ Singular vs. Plural Pairs in Context:
  1. Mi libro está aquí · Mis libros están en la mochila.
  2. Su casa es grande · Sus casas están en el mismo barrio.
  3. Nuestro sistema funciona bien · Nuestros sistemas son modernos.
  4. Ellas necesitan su reporte · Ellas abren sus libros.
  5. Su cita es hoy · Sus llaves están sobre la mesa.

5. Using Possessives in Questions

¿Es esta su…? · ¿Dónde están mis…? · ¿Es nuestra…? · confirm ownership and location

Possessive adjectives are especially useful in questions — they allow you to confirm ownership, locate items, and check details during professional interactions. The same forms apply in questions as in statements: the possessive goes before the noun, matches the noun's number, and nuestro/nuestra also matches gender. Common patterns: ¿Es esta su…? (Is this your…?), ¿Dónde están mis…? (Where are my…?), ¿Tiene usted sus…? (Do you have your…?). In a professional or service context, these questions are tools for organization, clarity, and respectful communication with clients and colleagues.

✏️ Example Questions with Possessives:
  1. ¿Es esta tu oficina?
  2. ¿Es esta su oficina, señora Martínez?
  3. ¿Dónde están mis papeles del proyecto nuevo?
  4. ¿Es nuestra reunión a la una de la tarde?
  5. ¿Tienes tus documentos listos para la clase?
  6. ¿Cuál es mi lugar en la mesa de la reunión?

📌 Key Rules — Possessive Adjectives at a Glance:

Shadow & Speak — Section 9.1-A

Listen to each sentence in Spanish, then repeat aloud during the countdown pause.

Sentences 1–5 use mi/mis in everyday professional contexts. Sentences 6–10 practice su/sus with a variety of owners — pay attention to context to identify who owns what. Sentences 11–15 drill all four forms of nuestro/nuestra/nuestros/nuestras with both masculine and feminine nouns. Sentences 16–20 contrast singular and plural forms of the same possessive. Sentences 21–25 are professional questions using all possessives — the most realistic daily-use sentences in this section.

How to Shadow & Speak

Step 1 — Spot the possessive: Before repeating, identify the possessive adjective and the noun it describes. Ask: is the noun singular or plural? Is it masculine or feminine (for nuestro)?

Step 2 — Repeat: During the 4-second countdown, say the full sentence — feel the possessive + noun as a natural unit: mi oficina, sus llaves, nuestra reunión.

Step 3 — For su/sus: After each sentence, identify which of the six possible owners su/sus refers to by reading the context. Practice naming the owner aloud before moving on.

Study Tips

The nuestro gender drill: After each sentence with nuestro/nuestra, say the noun aloud and ask: is it masculine or feminine? Then confirm the possessive matches. Build this as an automatic check: noun gender → possessive form.

For sentences 16–20 (singular/plural contrast): Each sentence pair shows the same possessive flipping between singular and plural based on the noun. Repeat both forms back-to-back — the contrast should feel natural and immediate.

Professional priority — memorize these five phrases first: su cita (your appointment), sus documentos (your documents), mi lugar (my place/seat), nuestra reunión (our meeting), sus llaves (your keys). These five cover the most common ownership situations in any professional context.

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Quiz — Section 9.1-B

Choose the correct answer. 20 questions drawn randomly from a pool of 30.

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