Spanish Possessive Adjectives: A Simple Guide to 'Mi', 'Tu', and 'Su'

You have your keys, your phone, and your wallet. Your friend has her backpack. They have their plans for the weekend. See all those little words showing who owns what? In English, they're "my," "your," "her," "their," and so on.

In Spanish, these essential words are called possessive adjectives, and today we're mastering the three most common ones: mi, tu, and su.

Ready to claim your knowledge? Let's dive in!

What Are Possessive Adjectives, Anyway?

Don't let the grammar term scare you. Possessive adjectives are simply words that do two jobs at once:

1. They describe a noun.
2. They show who that noun belongs to.

In Spanish, these words come before the noun, just like in English. The core group you need to know are mi (my), tu (your), and su (his/her/its/your/their).

The most important rule? They must agree in number with the thing being owned.

What does that mean? If the thing you're talking about is plural, the possessive adjective needs an -s. Let's break it down.

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1. Mi / Mis — Talking About "My" Stuff

This is the easiest one! When you want to say something belongs to you (yo), you use mi.

• Use mi for a single item.
• Use mis for multiple items.

Check it out:

• Singular: mi gatocat (my cat)
• Plural: mis gatoscats (my cats)

It doesn't matter if the noun is masculine or feminine; mi stays the same.

• mi hermanobrother (my brother)
• mi hermanasister (my sister)

The only thing that matters is if you have one sibling or many! You can learn more about family members here.

Since zapatos (shoes) is plural, you need to use mis. Simple!

2. Tu / Tus — Talking About "Your" Stuff (Informal)

When you're talking to a friend, a family member, or someone your age (using the tú form), you use tu to say "your."

• Use tu for a single item.
• Use tus for multiple items.

For example:

• Singular: ¿Es tu bicicletabicycle? (Is this your bicycle?)
• Plural: ¿Son tus llaveskeys? (Are these your keys?)

Time for a quick check-in. Test your knowledge!

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3. Su / Sus — The Ultimate Multitasker

Here's where Spanish gets efficient. The word su can mean:

• his
• her
• its
• your (formal, for usted)
• their (for ellos, ellas, or ustedes)

That's a lot of meanings for one little word! Just like mi and tu, it follows the singular/plural rule:

• Use su for a single item.
• Use sus for multiple items.

Let's see it in action:

• His: Juan busca su billetera. (Juan is looking for his wallet.)
• Her: María ama a su familia. (María loves her family.)
• Your (formal): Señor, ¿es este su abrigo? (Sir, is this your coat?)
• Their: Los niños tienen sus juguetes. (The children have their toys.)

"Wait, How Do I Know Who Su is Referring To?"

Great question! Since su can mean so many things, context is everything.

If you're already talking about María, and you say su coche, everyone will understand you mean "her car."

But what if the context is unclear? There's a simple trick to add clarity. You can use the formula: de + [pronoun] after the noun.

Look at this sentence:

Veo su libro. (I see his/her/their/your book.)

This is ambiguous. Let's clarify!

• Veo el libro de él. (I see the book of him -> his book)
• Veo el libro de ella. (I see the book of her -> her book)
• Veo el libro de ellos. (I see the book of them -> their book)

Let's Put It All Together

Here is a handy chart to summarize everything:

Owner	Possessive (Singular Noun)	Possessive (Plural Noun)	Example (Singular)	Example (Plural)
Yo (I)	mi	mis	mi amigo	mis amigos
Tú (You, informal)	tu	tus	tu casa	tus casas
Él/Ella/Usted (He/She/You formal)	su	sus	su trabajo	sus trabajos
Ellos/Ellas/Ustedes (They/You all)	su	sus	su idea	sus ideas

Ready to practice building a sentence from scratch? Unscramble this!

Key Takeaways

You've just learned one of the most fundamental parts of Spanish grammar! Let's recap the golden rules:

1. Match the Number: Possessive adjectives must match the noun they describe in number (singular or plural). If the noun has an -s, your possessive adjective probably needs one too (mis, tus, sus).
2. Gender Doesn't Matter (For These Words): Mi, tu, and su do not change for masculine or feminine nouns. It’s mi amigo and mi amiga.
3. Context is King for Su: Pay attention to the conversation to understand who su refers to. When in doubt, use de + pronoun for clarity.

Mastering mi, tu, and su is a huge step toward sounding more natural in Spanish. Now you can talk about your family, your friend's hobbies, and their favorite foods with confidence. ¡Es tu victoria! (It's your victory!)