Learn Spanish (Latin America): ¿Esa billetera es la tuya?

In Spanish, possessive pronouns usually use a definite article like el or la before them. After the verb es (is), you actually can say just tuya to mean "yours" in a general sense of ownership. But adding la makes it more specific, like asking "Is that wallet the one that belongs to you?" out of a few possible choices in the room.

Why is it la tuya and not el tuyo?

Possessive pronouns have to match the gender and number of the noun they replace or refer to. Since the sentence is about a wallet (billetera), which is a feminine and singular word, it becomes la tuya. If they were asking about a phone (teléfono), it would be el tuyo.

If we both know we are talking about wallets, do I still need to say billetera?

No, you can drop it! If you are pointing at a wallet, you can simply ask ¿Esa es la tuya? (Is that one yours?). The pronoun la tuya does all the heavy lifting because the la and the -a ending remind the listener that you are referring to a feminine object.

A quick refresher: what is the difference between Esa and Esta?