How to Say "her" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “her” is “su” — use 'su' when referring to something that belongs to 'her' (or 'him'/'them'), acting as a determiner before a noun..
su
/soo//su/
Examples
Es su libro.
It is her book.
Es su coche.
It's his car. / It's her car. / It's their car.
María busca su llave.
María is looking for her key.
Señor, ¿es su maleta?
Sir, is this your suitcase?
One Word, Many Meanings
'Su' is a super-useful word that can mean 'his,' 'her,' 'its,' 'your' (formal), or 'their.' You figure out which one it is from the context of the conversation.
Making it Plural: 'sus'
If the thing being owned is plural (like 'books'), you add an 's' to make it 'sus.' For example, 'su libro' (his book) becomes 'sus libros' (his books).
Forgetting the Plural 's'
Mistake: “Es su zapatos.”
Correction: Son sus zapatos. If the *thing* is plural (zapatos), you must use 'sus,' even if the owner is just one person.
Mixing Up 'su' and 'tu'
Mistake: “Señor, ¿es tu coche?”
Correction: Señor, ¿es su coche? Use 'su' when talking to someone formally ('usted'), and 'tu' when talking to someone informally ('tú').
sus
/soos//sus/
Examples
Son sus ideas.
They are her ideas.
Ellos aman a sus perros.
They love their dogs.
Sus ojos son azules.
His/Her eyes are blue.
Profesora, ¿podemos usar sus lápices?
Teacher, can we use your pencils?
It's About the Items, Not the Owner
Use 'sus' when the things being owned are plural (more than one). For just one thing, use 'su'. Compare: 'su libro' (one book) vs. 'sus libros' (many books).
Who's the Owner?
'Sus' can mean 'his', 'her', 'its', 'their', or 'your' (for a group). You figure out who the owner is from the rest of the conversation.
Mixing Up 'Su' and 'Sus'
Mistake: “Él tiene su libros.”
Correction: Say 'Él tiene sus libros.' The word must match the number of *items*, not the number of owners. Since 'libros' (books) is plural, you must use 'sus'.
la
/la//la/
Examples
Vi a María y la saludé.
I saw Maria and I greeted her.
¿Conoces a Ana? Sí, la conozco.
Do you know Ana? Yes, I know her.
Compré la camisa ayer y ya la perdí.
I bought the shirt yesterday and I already lost it.
Señora, ¿la puedo ayudar?
Ma'am, can I help you?
Replacing a Noun
This 'la' is a shortcut. Instead of repeating a feminine noun, you can replace it with 'la'. For example, instead of 'Veo a la chica', you can say 'La veo' (I see her).
Where Does It Go?
Usually, 'la' goes right before the action word (the verb). 'La llamo' (I call her). With commands or two-verb phrases, you can attach it to the end: '¡Llámala!' (Call her!) or 'Voy a llamarla' (I'm going to call her).
Confusing 'la' and 'le'
Mistake: “La doy un regalo a mi mamá.”
Correction: Le doy un regalo a mi mamá. Use 'la' for who/what *receives the direct action* (I see HER). Use 'le' for who/what something is done *to* or *for* (I give a gift TO HER).
ella
/EH-yah//'eʎa/
Examples
Hablé con ella ayer.
I spoke with her yesterday.
Ella es mi hermana.
She is my sister.
El regalo es para ella.
The gift is for her.
¿Viste la película? Ella fue muy buena.
Did you see the movie? It was very good.
Who's Doing the Action?
'Ella' tells you that a female person (or a feminine thing) is the one doing the main action. For example, 'Ella come' means 'She eats'.
Using 'Ella' for Things
In Spanish, even objects have a 'gender'. If a noun is feminine, like 'la mesa' (the table), you use 'ella' to refer to it. It's like saying 'it'.
Optional but Important
Sometimes you can leave 'ella' out if it's clear who you're talking about. The verb ending often tells you. For example, 'Canta bien' can mean 'She sings well'.
Forgetting Noun Gender
Mistake: “Me gusta el coche. Él es rápido.”
Correction: Me gusta la casa. Ella es grande. A masculine thing like 'el coche' uses 'él', but a feminine thing like 'la casa' must use 'ella'.
suyas
/soo-yahs//ˈsuʝas/
Examples
Las llaves son suyas.
The keys are hers.
Las decisiones suyas nos afectaron a todos.
His/Her/Their decisions affected us all.
No me gustan las opiniones suyas; prefiero las mías.
I don't like his/her/their opinions; I prefer mine.
Placement for Emphasis
Unlike the short possessive ('sus'), 'suyas' is placed AFTER the noun (e.g., 'las casas suyas') to draw special attention to the ownership, often in contrast to someone else's items.
Overuse of Long Form
Mistake: “Using 'las cosas suyas' in everyday speech when you simply mean 'their things.'”
Correction: For standard, non-emphatic possession, use the short form 'sus cosas.' The long form 'suyas' is reserved for special situations.
Possessive vs. Pronoun Confusion
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