In Spanish, it's important to know how to use possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns so you can speak clearly. Both of these show who owns something, but they are used in different ways in sentences.

Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives tell us more about nouns. They need to match the noun’s gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) that they describe. Here are the Spanish possessive adjectives:

• mi (my)
• tu (your - informal)
• su (his, her, your - formal, their)
• nuestro/a (our - masculine/feminine)
• vuestro/a (your - informal plural masculine/feminine)

Examples:

• Mi libro (My book)
• Tu casa (Your house)
• Su coche (His/Her/Your car)
• Nuestra familia (Our family)
• Vuestra escuela (Your school)

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns replace a noun. They show ownership without needing to follow with a noun. They also need to match the gender and number of the noun they are replacing. Here are the Spanish possessive pronouns:

• mío/a(s) (mine)
• tuyo/a(s) (yours - informal)
• suyo/a(s) (his, hers, yours - formal, theirs)
• nuestro/a(s) (ours - masculine/feminine)
• vuestro/a(s) (yours - informal plural masculine/feminine)

Examples:

• Este libro es mío. (This book is mine.)
• Esa casa es tuya. (That house is yours.)
• El coche es suyo. (The car is his/hers/yours.)
• La familia es nuestra. (The family is ours.)
• Las escuelas son vuestras. (The schools are yours.)

Key Differences

1. Function in a sentence:

   • Possessive adjectives change nouns. For example, mi perro means "my dog."
   • Possessive pronouns replace nouns. For example, El perro es mío means "The dog is mine."

2. Agreement:

   • Possessive adjectives must match the gender and number of the noun they describe. For example, nuestro libro (our book) and nuestra casa (our house).
   • Possessive pronouns also need to match the noun they replace. For example, El libro es mío (The book is mine) and Los libros son míos (The books are mine).

Practice Exercises

1. Fill in the blanks with the correct possessive adjective:

   • ___ coche es rojo. (my)
   • ¿Es ___ perro? (your)

2. Rewrite the sentences using possessive pronouns:

   • Este lápiz es de Juan. (Answer: Es suyo.)
   • Esta casa es de María. (Answer: Es suya.)

Understanding the difference between possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns is very important for learning Spanish. It helps you know how to make sure everything matches in gender and number. Use these examples and exercises to practice more. Try making your own sentences to help you learn!