3.3: Possessive adjectives
- Page ID
- 415627
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\(\newcommand{\avec}{\mathbf a}\) \(\newcommand{\bvec}{\mathbf b}\) \(\newcommand{\cvec}{\mathbf c}\) \(\newcommand{\dvec}{\mathbf d}\) \(\newcommand{\dtil}{\widetilde{\mathbf d}}\) \(\newcommand{\evec}{\mathbf e}\) \(\newcommand{\fvec}{\mathbf f}\) \(\newcommand{\nvec}{\mathbf n}\) \(\newcommand{\pvec}{\mathbf p}\) \(\newcommand{\qvec}{\mathbf q}\) \(\newcommand{\svec}{\mathbf s}\) \(\newcommand{\tvec}{\mathbf t}\) \(\newcommand{\uvec}{\mathbf u}\) \(\newcommand{\vvec}{\mathbf v}\) \(\newcommand{\wvec}{\mathbf w}\) \(\newcommand{\xvec}{\mathbf x}\) \(\newcommand{\yvec}{\mathbf y}\) \(\newcommand{\zvec}{\mathbf z}\) \(\newcommand{\rvec}{\mathbf r}\) \(\newcommand{\mvec}{\mathbf m}\) \(\newcommand{\zerovec}{\mathbf 0}\) \(\newcommand{\onevec}{\mathbf 1}\) \(\newcommand{\real}{\mathbb R}\) \(\newcommand{\twovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\ctwovec}[2]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\threevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cthreevec}[3]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfourvec}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\fivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{r}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\cfivevec}[5]{\left[\begin{array}{c}#1 \\ #2 \\ #3 \\ #4 \\ #5 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\mattwo}[4]{\left[\begin{array}{rr}#1 \amp #2 \\ #3 \amp #4 \\ \end{array}\right]}\) \(\newcommand{\laspan}[1]{\text{Span}\{#1\}}\) \(\newcommand{\bcal}{\cal B}\) \(\newcommand{\ccal}{\cal C}\) \(\newcommand{\scal}{\cal S}\) \(\newcommand{\wcal}{\cal W}\) \(\newcommand{\ecal}{\cal E}\) \(\newcommand{\coords}[2]{\left\{#1\right\}_{#2}}\) \(\newcommand{\gray}[1]{\color{gray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\lgray}[1]{\color{lightgray}{#1}}\) \(\newcommand{\rank}{\operatorname{rank}}\) \(\newcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\col}{\text{Col}}\) \(\renewcommand{\row}{\text{Row}}\) \(\newcommand{\nul}{\text{Nul}}\) \(\newcommand{\var}{\text{Var}}\) \(\newcommand{\corr}{\text{corr}}\) \(\newcommand{\len}[1]{\left|#1\right|}\) \(\newcommand{\bbar}{\overline{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bhat}{\widehat{\bvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\bperp}{\bvec^\perp}\) \(\newcommand{\xhat}{\widehat{\xvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\vhat}{\widehat{\vvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\uhat}{\widehat{\uvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\what}{\widehat{\wvec}}\) \(\newcommand{\Sighat}{\widehat{\Sigma}}\) \(\newcommand{\lt}{<}\) \(\newcommand{\gt}{>}\) \(\newcommand{\amp}{&}\) \(\definecolor{fillinmathshade}{gray}{0.9}\)Possessive adjectives
We use possessive adejctives to tell who the owner of something is. In Spanish, possessive pronouns must agree in gender and number with the item owned, not the owner.
Mi casa es bonita. My house is pretty. Mis amigos son amables. My friends are nice.
Even though I am one person, I have more than one friend so the possessive adjective must agree in number with amigos, the thing owned.
Nuestra casa es bonita. Our house is pretty. Nuestros amigos son amables. Our friends are nice.
Regardless of the gender of the speaker or writer, the possessive adjective must agree with casa and amigos. Since casa is feminine and singular, we use nuestra. Since amigos is masculine and plural, we use nuestros.
In Spanish, there are two types of possessive adjectives, the short and the long. The short possessive adjectives go in front of the nouns they describe while the long possessive pronouns go after.
The short possessive adjectives are used more often. They are
mi, mis = my, mine nuestro, nuestra, nuestros, nuestras = our, ours
tu, tus = your, yours (familiar) vuestro, vuestra, vuestros, vuestras = your, your(fam.)
suyo, suya, suyos, suyas = his, her, your (formal) sus, sus= their, your (formal)
The long possessive adjectives are usually used for clarification or emphasis. Sometimes long possessive adjectives replace a noun entirely.
mío, mía, míos, mías = my, mine nuestro, nuestra, nuestros, nuestras = our, of ours
tuyo, tuya, tuyos, tuyas = of yours (fam.) vuestro, vuestra, vuestros, vuestras = your (fam.), of yours
suyo, suya, suyos, suyas,= his, her, your (forma) suyo, suya, suyos, suyas = their, theirs, your, yours (formal)
Again, the possessive adjectives match the thing owned with regards to gender and number.
El libro mío es interesante. The book of mine is interesting.
Los perros míos son buenos. The dogs of mine are good.
Now let us practice possessive adjectives.
Prácticas.
A. Translate each of the phrases into Spanish.
1. my book
2. his dog
3. her books
4. their friend
5. our family
6. your (familiar) phone
7. your (formal) pen
8. his shoes
9. her teacher
10. our cats
11. their car
12. the book of mine
13. the dog of his
14. the books of hers
15. the friend of theirs
16. the family of ours
17. the phone of yours (familiar)
18. the pen of yours (formal)
19. the shoes of his
20. the teacher or hers
21. the cat of ours
22. the car of theirs
B. Rewrite each singular phrase with the plural form.
example mi reloj mis relojes
1. mi libro
2. su chaqueta
3. nuestro coche
4. tu gato
5. su perro
6. nuestra nota
7. mi amiga
8. su hermano
9. nuestro profesor
10. mi compañero
C. Rewrite each sentence by replacing the short possessive adjective with the appropriate long possessive adjective. Remember to use the appropriate definite artilce at the start of the expression.
1. mis compañeras
2. tu chaqueta
3. su amigo
4. nuestro perro
5. su gato
6. mi hermana
7. nuestras clases
8. mi profesora
9. tu idea
10. su teléfono
D. Pick a photo on your phone or your computer. Write five sentences using possessive adjectives to describe it.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
E. La música. The song Mío, by Paulina Rubio includes possessive adjectives. Listen to the song. Listen to it a second time and write the possessive adjectives that you hear. Then, write examples of five things you own using possessive adjectives.
F. What is a possessive adjective? How a short possessive adjective is different from a long possessive adjective? Write three sentences with short possessive adjectives and rewrite the same sentences with long possessive adjectives.