Stressed possessives
Short possessives like mi (my) and tu (your) always go before the noun. But when you want to strongly emphasize ownership, use a stressed possessive instead.
These must agree in gender and number with the thing that is owned, not the owner.
| Owner | Singular (M / F) | Plural (M / F) |
|---|---|---|
| I | mío / mía | míos / mías |
| You | tuyo / tuya | tuyos / tuyas |
| He / She / You (formal) | suyo / suya | suyos / suyas |
| We | nuestro / nuestra | nuestros / nuestras |
| You all | vuestro / vuestra | vuestros / vuestras |
| They / You all (formal) | suyo / suya | suyos / suyas |
Saying "of mine" or "of yours"
When used alongside a noun, stressed possessives always go after the noun. This is often used with indefinite articles (un, una) or demonstratives (este, ese) to say things like "a neighbor of mine" or "that wall of yours."
| A neighbor of mine has just built the fence. | Una vecina mía acaba de construir la valla. |
| Are you going to build that wall of yours? | ¿Vas a construir ese muro tuyo? |
| Your dog has broken a fence of mine. | Tu perro ha roto una valla mía. |
Claiming ownership with "ser"
Stressed possessives are frequently used directly after the verb ser (to be) to state exactly who owns a property. In these sentences, words like mío translate simply to "mine."
| This property is yours, but the land is private. | Esta propiedad es tuya, pero el terreno es privado. |
| The land is mine, not yours. | El terreno es mío, no tuyo. |
| The wall is his, but the fence is ours. | El muro es suyo, pero la valla es nuestra. |
Standalone possessive pronouns
If the object being discussed is already clear from context, you can drop the noun entirely. To say "mine" or "yours" as a standalone pronoun, use a definite article (el, la, los, las) followed by the stressed possessive.
| My garden is large, but yours is small. | Mi jardín es grande, pero el tuyo es pequeño. |
| My fences are new, but yours are old. | Mis vallas son nuevas, pero las tuyas son viejas. |
