Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns
Quick Answer: Short possessives (mi, tu, su) go before the noun and agree in NUMBER only (mi libro / mis libros).
My, your, his/her — and why they agree differently than in English
Category: Gender & Agreement
The Rule
Short possessives (mi, tu, su) go before the noun and agree in NUMBER only (mi libro / mis libros). Long possessives (mío, tuyo, suyo) go after the noun and agree in both GENDER and NUMBER (el libro mío / la casa mía).
Why This Matters
Spanish possessives don't indicate the owner's gender — they agree with the thing possessed. 'Su casa' can mean his house, her house, your house, or their house. Context or clarification (la casa de él/ella) resolves ambiguity.
Examples
• mi casa, mis amigos — "my house, my friends" [Short form: agrees in number only] • su libro = his/her/your/their book — "his/her/your/their book" [Su is ambiguous — context clarifies] • un amigo mío — "a friend of mine" [Long form after noun: gender + number agreement] • nuestro perro / nuestra gata — "our dog / our cat" [Nuestro/vuestro agree in gender AND number]
Common Mistakes
❌ su casa de ella ✅ la casa de ella / su casa → You can say 'la casa de ella' to clarify, but 'su casa de ella' is redundant. Use one or the other. ❌ mi libros ✅ mis libros → Mi becomes mis before plural nouns. Short possessives must agree in number.
Quick Tip
Only nuestro/vuestro change for gender (nuestro/nuestra, vuestro/vuestra). Mi, tu, and su only change for number (mi/mis, tu/tus, su/sus). When 'su' is ambiguous, clarify with 'de él/ella/ellos/usted.'
Only nuestro/vuestro change for gender (nuestro/nuestra, vuestro/vuestra). Mi, tu, and su only change for number (mi/mis, tu/tus, su/sus). When 'su' is ambiguous, clarify with 'de él/ella/ellos/usted.'
Examples
Common Mistakes
Incorrect: su casa de ella → Correct: la casa de ella / su casa. You can say 'la casa de ella' to clarify, but 'su casa de ella' is redundant. Use one or the other.
Incorrect: mi libros → Correct: mis libros. Mi becomes mis before plural nouns. Short possessives must agree in number.
Quiz
'Our friends (female)' — which is correct?