cuyo
COO-yoh
📝 In Action
El escritor, cuya novela ganó el premio, es famoso.
B2The writer, whose novel won the prize, is famous.
Visitamos la ciudad, cuyos edificios son muy antiguos.
B2We visited the city, whose buildings are very old.
La mujer, a cuya hija ayudamos, nos dio las gracias.
C1The woman, whose daughter we helped, thanked us.
Tengo un perro, cuyo nombre es Max.
B2I have a dog, whose name is Max.
💡 Grammar Points
Agreement is Key
This word must match the gender and number of the thing being possessed (the noun right after it), not the person who possesses it. If you're talking about 'his car' (coche, masculine), you use 'cuyo' regardless of whether the possessor is male or female.
Forms of Cuyo
Remember the four forms: 'cuyo' (masculine singular), 'cuya' (feminine singular), 'cuyos' (masculine plural), and 'cuyas' (feminine plural).
Formal Connector
Use 'cuyo' to smoothly connect two pieces of information, showing possession, and avoiding repetition. It acts like a formal version of 'the car of the man'.
❌ Common Pitfalls
Matching the Possessor
Mistake: "El hombre, *cuya* hijos son altos. (Trying to match the feminine 'cuya' to 'hombre'.)"
Correction: El hombre, *cuyos* hijos son altos. (It must match 'hijos', which is masculine plural.)
Using the Article
Mistake: "El amigo, cuyo *el* coche es rojo. (Adding an article after 'cuyo'.)"
Correction: El amigo, cuyo coche es rojo. ('Cuyo' already includes the idea of the article, so don't use 'el', 'la', 'los', or 'las' afterwards.)
⭐ Usage Tips
When to Use It
If you are writing an essay, a formal letter, or doing highly advanced reading, 'cuyo' is appropriate. In casual conversation, people usually use alternative phrases like 'el hombre del que te hablé' (the man about whom I spoke).
✏️ Quick Practice
💡 Quick Quiz: cuyo
Question 1 of 2
Which of the following sentences correctly uses 'cuyo'?
📚 More Resources
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is 'cuyo' less common than 'que' or 'quien'?
'Cuyo' is considered highly formal and sometimes sounds overly academic in casual speech. Native speakers often prefer simpler constructions like 'el hombre del que hablé' (the man about whom I spoke) instead of 'el hombre cuyo coche...' (the man whose car...).
Does 'cuyo' ever have an accent mark?
No. Unlike other question words like 'qué' or 'quién', 'cuyo' never takes a written accent mark, regardless of whether it is used in a question or statement.