4B – Possessive adjectives Long / stressed forms

You remember the possessive adjectives – short forms:

Possessive Adjectives  Mi(s) – my  Tu(s) – your (familiar)  Su(s) – his, her, your(polite)  Nuestro(a)(os)(as)- our  Vuestro(a)(os)(as)- your (familiar)  Su(s) – their, your(polite)

Possessive adjectives must agree in number with the noun they modify.  Tu sobrino estudia latín.  Your nephew studies Latin  Tus sobrinos estudian latín.  Your nephews study Latin.

You also learned that you can show possession with “de”  La gallina de mi hermano está enfermo.  My brother’s hen is sick.  Las vacas de mi vecino se escaparon.  My neighbor’s cows escaped.

You can also show possession with the long or stressed possessive adjectives.  mío(s), mía(s) – my,(of) mine  tuyo(s),tuya(s) – your, (of) yours  suyo(s), suyas – his, (of) his his, (of) his her, (of) hers her, (of) hers your, (of) yours your, (of) yours its its  nuestro(s), nuestra(s)- our, (of) ours  vuestro(s), vuestra(s)- your, (of) yours  suyo(s),suya(s) – their, (of) theirs their, (of) theirs your, (of) yours your, (of) yours

They follow and agree with their noun.  É sta es la oveja mía.  This one is my sheep. (sheep of mine)  Es el caballo tuyo.  It is your horse. (horse of yours)  Aquéllas son las gallinas suyas.  Those ones are his/her/their/your hens. (hens of his, hers, theirs, yours) Notice the agreement of all adjectives with their nouns.

 Son mías.  They are mine. (las palomitas)  Es tuyo.  It is yours. (el cerdo)  Son nuestros.  They are ours. (los animales) Notice the agreement of all adjectives with their implied nouns. They may also be used immediately after ser, without a noun. The noun is implied.

suyo,a,os, as can be clarified:  É ste es el gato suyo.  This one is his, her, your, their, your (all) cat.  É ste es el gato de él. (his)  És te es el gato de ella. (hers)  É ste es el gato de Ud. (yours)  É ste es el gato de Uds. (yours)  É ste es el gato de ellos (as). (theirs) Suyo can be unclear in the first sentence. Suyo can be unclear in the first sentence. You can clarify by using de and a prepositional pronoun. You can clarify by using de and a prepositional pronoun.

Using a definite article changes the adjective into a pronoun. Using a definite article changes the adjective into a pronoun.  Cuido tu vaca y la mía también.  I’ll take care of your cow and mine also.  LLevo mis libros y los tuyos.  I’ll carry my books and yours.  ¿Es ese coche el nuestro?  Is that car ours?  Mis gallinas son ésas y aquéllas son las suyas.(de ella)  My hens are those ones, and those ones are hers.

Gracias por su atención