Notes on Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns in Spanish

Objective

  • Understanding and using possessive adjectives and pronouns.

Key Concepts

Possessive Adjectives
  • Definition: Show personal relationships or possession.
  • Forms:
    • Short-form: mi(s), tu(s), su(s), nuestro(a/os/as), vuestro(a/os/as).
    • Long-form: More expressive; follows the noun it describes.
Usage
  • Short-form Examples:
    • mi libro (my book)
    • mis libros (my books)
    • tu libro (your book)
    • sus cuadernos (his/her notebooks)
    • nuestro cuaderno (our notebook)
Long-form Possessive Adjectives
  • Forms:
    • Singular: mío(a), tuyo(a), suyo(a), nuestro(a), vuestro(a).
    • Plural: míos(as), tuyos(as), suyos(as), nuestros(as), vuestros(as).
  • Usage: Used for emphasis, following the noun.
    • Example: "un amigo mío" (a friend of mine).
Possessive Pronouns
  • Definition: Also show personal relationships, replace nouns.
  • Formation:
    1. Use the long form of the possessive adjective.
    2. Add el, la, los, las according to gender and number.
  • Example:
    • "Los libros son de Armando, son suyos" (The books belong to Armando, they are his).

Guide to Forming Possessive Adjectives and Pronouns

  • Short-form:

    • yo: mi (my), mis (my)
    • tú: tu (your), tus (your)
    • él/ella/usted: su (his/her), sus (his/her)
    • nosotros/nosotras: nuestro(s), nuestra(s) (our)
    • vosotros: vuestro(s), vuestra(s) (your)
    • ellos/ellas/ustedes: su (their), sus (their).
  • Long-form:

    • mío (my), mía; tuyos (yours), tuya; suyo (his/hers), suya;
      nuestro (ours), nuestra; vuestro (yours), vuestra.
  • Placement:

    • Short-form precedes the noun.
    • Long-form follows the noun and requires an article (el, la, los, las).

Examples of Long-form Possessive Adjectives

  • "Esta es mi silla y esa es tuya" (This is my chair and that one is yours).
  • "Los carros son de Ramira, son suyos" (The cars belong to Ramira, they are hers).

Practice Sentences

Fill in the blanks with the correct possessive adjectives or pronouns:
  1. "Esta es mi calculadora. La calculadora es mía".
  2. "El celular es de Karina. Es suyo".
  3. "Estos son mis libros. Los libros son míos".
  4. "Ellos son nuestros amigos. Son amigos nuestros".
  5. "Los patines son de Lucía. Los patines son suyos".
  6. "El reloj es de mi abuelo. El reloj es suyo".
  7. "La moto es de la profesora. La moto es suya".
  8. "Estos son tus perros. Son tuyos".

Vocabulary Related to Personal Reactions

  • aburrirse: to get bored
  • asustarse de: to be scared of
  • cansarse: to get tired
  • darse cuenta de: to realize
  • disculparse: to apologize
  • divertirse: to enjoy oneself
  • enojarse con: to get angry with
  • portarse bien/mal: to behave well/badly
  • preocuparse por: to be worried about
  • reírse: to laugh
  • sentirse: to feel
  • sonreírse: to smile

Vocabulary Related to Family Relationships

  • la amistad: friendship
  • el bebé: baby
  • el bisabuelo/a: great-grandfather/grandmother
  • el cuñado/a: brother-in-law/sister-in-law
  • los gemelos/as: twins
  • el hermanastro/a: stepbrother/stepsister
  • la madrastra: stepmother
  • el novio/a: boyfriend/girlfriend
  • el padrastro: stepfather
  • el pariente/a: relative
  • rico/a: rich
  • sobrino/a: nephew/niece

Vocabulary Descriptions and Expressions

  • a veces: sometimes
  • amable: nice
  • animado/a: lively
  • impaciente: impatient
  • obediente: obedient
  • sociable: sociable
  • tímido/a: shy