FAM: Lesson - Los adjetivos posesivos

An illustration of the possessive adjectives. Various characters demonstrate possession and relationshipsLos adjetivos posesivos (Possessive Adjectives)

Possessive adjectives indicate who or what possesses something. They are both possessive and demonstrative in showing relationships between people and objects. For example:

  • This is my brother.
  • He is your friend.

Possessive Adjectives in Spanish

Possessive adjectives in Spanish have a singular and plural form, according to the thing someone possesses:

  • mi hermano = my brother
  • mis hermanos = my brothers

It is important to remember that the possessive adjectives nosotros and vosotros have a feminine and masculine form. Also note that the possessive adjective formed from is tu, the same letters but without the written accent, so be careful not to confuse these words. For example:

  • eres María y tu hermana es Juana.

Los adjectivos posesivos en español

Below is a chart of the possessive adjectives used in Spanish.

Los adjetivos posesivos
Pronombre personal
(personal pronoun)
Adjetivos posesivos – singular
(Singular possessive adj)
Adjetivos posesivos – plural
(Plural possessive adj)
Definiciones
(definitions)
Yo mi mis My

(singular, informal)
tu tus Your
Él / Ella
Usted  (singular, formal)
su sus His / Her / Its
Your
Nosotros / Nosotras nuestro / nuestra nuestros / nuestras Our
Vosotros / Vosotras
(plural, informal)
vuestro / vuestra vuestros / vuestras Your
Ellos / Ellas
Ustedes  (plural, formal)
su sus Their
Your

Video Lesson

A notebook and pen with ¡Toma apuntes! written on it.

This video lesson will help you understand how to use and form possessive adjectives. You may want to watch it twice! You will need tu cuaderno (your notebook), tu lápiz o bolígrafo (your pencil or your pen) and maybe tu botella de agua (your water bottle).

Necesitas tomar apuntes (take notes) and complete practice activities. Remember, email your teacher if you have any questions after you complete a lesson. Your instructor is always available to help you and clarify any additional questions you may have before you move forward with your studies.

Video credit: Lingo Learner: www.lingolearner.com

A stick note with La actividad de práctica written on it.

Practice Activity

Was this video lesson helpful? Can you make a list of possessive adjectives in Spanish? Do you understand when to use singular and plural possessive adjectives? Can you write in Spanish "my mom" and "my cousins"? If your answer was to all questions, then you are ready to complete the following practice activity. All practice activities have unlimited attempts. Practice as many times as you need.

NOTE: You are required to use information from this course to complete all practice activities. Additionally, fill-in-the-blank activities can be very particular: if an item is marked incorrect, double check that it wasn't something as minor as an extra space or a capital letter in the wrong place!

[CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Links to an external site.] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION - INTENDED ONLY FOR USE WITHIN LESSON.
dates249 ilham/Shutterstock.com. Image used under license from Shutterstock.com and may not be repurposed.