Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are used to indicate ownership or possession, replacing possessive adjectives to avoid repetition. They are essential for expressing who owns what in a sentence. This lesson will cover the forms and usage of possessive pronouns in Spanish.

Forms of Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Spanish must agree with the noun they replace in gender and number. Here are the possessive pronouns:

Usage of Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are used to replace possessive adjectives when the ownership is clear from the context. They are often used to emphasize possession or to avoid repetition.

Examples

• Mío/Mía:

  Este libro es mío. (This book is mine.)

• Tuyo/Tuya:

  La casa es tuya. (The house is yours.)

• Suyo/Suya:

  El coche es suyo. (The car is his/hers/yours (formal)/theirs.)

• Nuestro/Nuestra:

  Este apartamento es nuestro. (This apartment is ours.)

• Vuestro/Vuestra:

  La mesa es vuestra. (The table is yours (plural informal).)

Special Cases

Emphasizing Possession

Possessive pronouns can be used to emphasize possession, especially when contrasting ownership between different people.

• Example:

  No, este coche no es mío; es tuyo. (No, this car is not mine; it is yours.)

Agreement with the Noun

Possessive pronouns must agree with the noun they replace in gender and number. This means that the form of the pronoun will change based on whether the noun is masculine or feminine, singular or plural.

• Example:

  Los libros son míos. (The books are mine.)

Summary

• Possessive pronouns indicate ownership or possession and must agree with the noun they replace in gender and number.
• Forms of possessive pronouns include mío/mía, tuyo/tuya, suyo/suya, nuestro/nuestra, vuestro/vuestra.
• Possessive pronouns are used to emphasize possession or to avoid repetition when the ownership is clear from the context.