Expressing
Posession
in Spanish
What English Speakers try to do…
• In English, to express possession we use the
possessive “s”.
• For example
– Those books are Mary’s.
– My mom’s sister is coming to visit.
• So, English speakers try to do this in Spanish.
But… IT DOES NOT WORK LIKE THIS!!!
• My dad’s car IS NOT mi padres carro.
How it works in Spanish
• To express possession in Spanish,
we use “DE”
• For example:
–To say, “My mom’s sister” we actually
say, “The sister of my mom.”
• La hermana de mi madre.
–To say, “My dad’s car” we say “The car
of my dad.”
• El carro de mi padre.
Más ejemplos
• El perro de Erin se llama Kramer.
Erin’s dog is named Kramer.
• El nombre de mi mejor amiga es Stephanie.
My best friend’s name is Stephanie.
• Los gatos de mi madre se llaman “Hamper” y
“Elbie.”
My mom’s cats are named Hamper and Elbie.
• El carro de mi hermana es negro.
My sister’s car is black.
Possessive Adjectives
• In English, our possessive adjectives are:
– My, your, his, her, our, your (again) and their.
– Example:
•
•
•
•
•
My book is in my backpack.
Your sister is nice.
Her plate is over there; his is on the table.
Our dog is big.
(Addressing a group of people) What’s your
opinion?
• Their house is for sale.
Unstressed Possessive Adjectives
en español
Mi
Mis
Tu
Tus
Su
Sus
When something belongs to
you, use mi or mis (depending
on the plurality of whatever it
is that’s yours).
When something belongs to a
peer you are talking to, use tu
or tus (depending on the
plurality of whatever it is that
belongs to that person).
When something belongs to
an “usted” you are talking to
or to someone you are talking
about, use su or sus (depends
on the plurality of whatever it
is that belongs to that person).
Nuestr@
Nuestr@s
Vuestr@
Vuestr@s
Su
Sus
To say “our”, use
nuestro/a/os/as (depending
on the GENDER and plurality
of whatever it is that’s yours).
To say “your” to a group of
people in Spain, use
vuestro/a/os/as (depending
on the GENDER and plurality
of whatever it is that’s theirs).
To say “your” to a group of
people in Latin America or
“their” about people you are
talking about, use su or sus
(depends on the plurality of
whatever it is that belongs).
Unstressed Possessive Adjectives
en español
Mi
casa
Nuestr@ Nuestro apartamento
Mis
padres
Nuestr@s
Nuestras amigas
Tu
gato
Vuestr@
Vuestra clase
Tus
clases
Su
Sus
hijo
estudiantes
Vuestr@s
Vuestros exámenes
Su
fiesta
Sus
composiciones
Ejemplos
• Mis libros pesan mucho (are heavy).
My books are heavy.
• ¿Son buenas tus clases?
Are your classes good?
• Mi casa es su casa.
My house is your house.
• Nuestras clases son interesantes.
Our classes are interesting.
• Clase, tengo vuestros exámenes. (España)
Class, I have your exams.
• Clase, tengo sus exámenes. (Latinoamérica)
Class, I have your exams.
• Mis amigas enseñan español en un colgeio, sus
estudiantes son adolescentes.
My friends teach Spanish at a high school, their students are teenagers.