Possessives

A1 — Gramática básica

Possessive adjectives and pronouns with dele/dela disambiguation

Can use possessives with correct agreement and disambiguate with dele/dela

Examples

Minha casa é grande. — My house is big.
O livro dele é novo. — His book is new.
Nossos amigos são legais. — Our friends are cool.

BasicsA1

Possessives

Possessive adjectives and pronouns with dele/dela disambiguation

Learning Goal

Can use possessives with correct agreement and disambiguate with dele/dela

Exam Skills:VISC A1

Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?

Minha casa é grande.

My house is big.

O livro dele é novo.

His book is new.

Nossos amigos são legais.

Our friends are cool.

Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?

Portuguese possessives agree with the thing owned, not with the owner. That is the opposite of English "his/her", which is about the owner - so a man talking about his house says minha casa, feminine, because casa is feminine.

Owner	masc. sing.	fem. sing.	masc. pl.	fem. pl.
eu - my	meu	minha	meus	minhas
tu - your	teu	tua	teus	tuas
você / ele / ela - your, his, her	seu	sua	seus	suas
nós - our	nosso	nossa	nossos	nossas
vocês / eles / elas - your, their	seu	sua	seus	suas

meu pai, minha mãe, meus amigos, minhas férias; nossa cidade, nossos vizinhos. Nossa! on its own is also the Brazilian "Wow!".

The seu problem, and dele / dela

On paper seu can mean "your", "his", "her", "its" or "their". Brazilians solved this in practice: seu / sua is heard mainly as "your" (to você), and for a third person they use dele (his), dela (her), deles / delas (their), placed after the noun:

o livro dele - his book
a casa dela - her house
os filhos deles - their children

Unlike seu, dele / dela agrees with the owner - it is de + ele / ela, "of him, of her" - which makes it feel familiar to English speakers.

With or without the article

In Portugal the definite article normally comes before the possessive: o meu livro, a minha casa. In Brazil both meu livro and o meu livro are heard; the article is optional and its use varies by region. After a preposition, the article fuses as usual: na minha casa, do nosso bairro.

Where English speakers slip

Agreeing with the owner: *meu casa (because "I" am a man). It is minha casa.
Using sua for "his/her" in conversation, which Brazilians will hear as "your". Use dele / dela.
Over-using possessives with the body: Lavo as mãos, "I wash my hands", needs no minhas.

Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises

Practice Exercises

Confusing agreement: meu casa* → minha casa (agrees with casa, feminine). Ambiguous seu/sua — use dele/dela for clarity. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English 'my/your/his/her' don't change for the noun. Portuguese meu/minha depends on the THING owned.

Minha casa é grande.

My house is big.

Minha (not meu) because casa is feminine. The possessive agrees with the thing owned.

O livro dele é novo.

His book is new.

Dele (de + ele) instead of 'seu' to avoid ambiguity. Seu could mean your/his/her/their!

Nossos amigos são legais.

Our friends are cool.

Nossos (masc. pl.) because amigos is masculine plural. Nossas amigas (fem. pl.).

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Frequently asked questions

When do you use Possessives?: Portuguese possessives agree with the thing owned, not with the owner. That is the opposite of English "his/her", which is about the owner - so a man talking about his house says minha casa , feminine, because casa is feminine.
How do you form Possessives?: meu pai, minha mãe, meus amigos, minhas férias; nossa cidade, nossos vizinhos. Nossa! on its own is also the Brazilian "Wow!". On paper seu can mean "your", "his", "her", "its" or "their". Brazilians solved this in practice: seu / sua is heard mainly as "your" (to você ), and for a third person they use dele (his), dela (her), deles / delas (their), placed after the noun: Unlike seu , dele / dela agrees with the owner - it is de + ele / ela , "of him, of her" - which makes it feel familiar to English speakers. In Portugal the definite article normally comes before the possessive: o meu livro , a minha casa .
What are common mistakes with Possessives?: Confusing agreement: meu casa* → minha casa (agrees with casa, feminine). Ambiguous seu/sua — use dele/dela for clarity. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English 'my/your/his/her' don't change for the noun. Portuguese meu/minha depends on the THING owned.

Owner

masc. sing.

fem. sing.

masc. pl.

fem. pl.

eu - my

meu

minha

meus

minhas

tu - your

teu

tua

teus

tuas

você / ele / ela - your, his, her

seu

sua

seus

suas

nós - our

nosso

nossa

nossos

nossas

vocês / eles / elas - your, their

seu

sua

seus

suas

Frequently asked questions

When do you use Possessives?

Portuguese possessives agree with the thing owned, not with the owner. That is the opposite of English "his/her", which is about the owner - so a man talking about his house says minha casa , feminine, because casa is feminine.

How do you form Possessives?

meu pai, minha mãe, meus amigos, minhas férias; nossa cidade, nossos vizinhos. Nossa! on its own is also the Brazilian "Wow!". On paper seu can mean "your", "his", "her", "its" or "their". Brazilians solved this in practice: seu / sua is heard mainly as "your" (to você ), and for a third person they use dele (his), dela (her), deles / delas (their), placed after the noun: Unlike seu , dele / dela agrees with the owner - it is de + ele / ela , "of him, of her" - which makes it feel familiar to English speakers. In Portugal the definite article normally comes before the possessive: o meu livro , a minha casa .

What are common mistakes with Possessives?

Confusing agreement: meu casa* → minha casa (agrees with casa, feminine). Ambiguous seu/sua — use dele/dela for clarity. 🇬🇧 English speakers: English 'my/your/his/her' don't change for the noun. Portuguese meu/minha depends on the THING owned.