A1 Pronouns 15 min read Easy

Possessive Adjectives: My, Your, His (meu, teu, seu)

The gender of the possessive adjective is determined by the thing being possessed, not the person who owns it.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In Portuguese, possessive adjectives agree with the thing being owned, not the owner.

  • Use 'meu' for masculine singular objects: 'meu livro' (my book).
  • Use 'minha' for feminine singular objects: 'minha casa' (my house).
  • Pluralize both: 'meus livros' (my books) and 'minhas casas' (my houses).
Possessive Adjective + Noun (Gender/Number Agreement)

Overview

Mastering possessive adjectives in Portuguese is a foundational step for any A1 learner. Unlike English, where possessive adjectives like 'my', 'your', 'his', and 'her' change based on the owner's gender and number, Portuguese possessives (meu, teu, seu, etc.) behave differently. Their form must agree in gender and number with the object possessed, not the possessor.

This linguistic principle, known as concordância nominal (nominal agreement), is central to Portuguese grammar and impacts adjectives, articles, and nouns.

Understanding this distinction is critical for clear communication and for sounding natural. For example, whether you say meu or minha depends entirely on whether the item you possess is masculine or feminine, respectively, and whether it's singular or plural. This initial adjustment is often a point of confusion for English speakers but becomes intuitive with practice.

This article will provide a comprehensive guide, ensuring you can confidently express ownership and relationships in Portuguese.

How This Grammar Works

Portuguese possessive adjectives function as descriptors that indicate ownership or association. Their primary rule is agreement with the noun they modify. This means the possessive adjective will change its ending to match the noun's gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural).
The gender and number of the person owning the item do not affect the possessive adjective's form.
Consider the noun carro (car), which is masculine singular, and casa (house), which is feminine singular. If you want to say 'my car', you use meu carro. If you want to say 'my house', you use minha casa.
Notice how meu changes to minha to agree with the gender of the noun. Similarly, for plural nouns like carros (masculine plural) and casas (feminine plural), you would say meus carros and minhas casas.
Another significant aspect of Portuguese possessive adjectives is their frequent use with definite articles (o, a, os, as). In European Portuguese, the definite article is generally mandatory before the possessive adjective. For instance, 'my book' would typically be o meu livro.
In Brazilian Portuguese, however, the use of the definite article before a possessive adjective is optional, especially in informal contexts, although it is still grammatically correct and often preferred in formal writing or speech. This difference is a key regional variation to be aware of.
For example:
  • O meu livro é novo. (My book is new. - European Portuguese and formal Brazilian Portuguese)
  • Meu livro é novo. (My book is new. - Informal Brazilian Portuguese)
  • A nossa comida está pronta. (Our food is ready. - Both variants)
This agreement rule is a cornerstone of Portuguese nominal structure. When you say a minha bicicleta (my bicycle), minha agrees with bicicleta (feminine singular), regardless of whether the speaker is male or female. This contrasts sharply with English, where 'my' remains constant irrespective of the noun's characteristics or the speaker's identity.

Formation Pattern

1
Portuguese possessive adjectives are formed by considering the gender and number of the item being possessed, and then the gender and number of the possessor. However, the form of the possessive adjective itself only changes to match the gender and number of the possessed item. The grammatical person of the possessor dictates which possessive adjective root (meu-, teu-, seu-, nosso-, vosso-) is used.
2
The general pattern for using possessive adjectives is: (Definite Article) + Possessive Adjective + Noun.
3
Here's a detailed table outlining the forms:
4
| Possessor (Subject Pronoun) | Item Possessed: Masculine Singular | Item Possessed: Feminine Singular | Item Possessed: Masculine Plural | Item Possessed: Feminine Plural |
5
|-----------------------------|------------------------------------|-----------------------------------|----------------------------------|----------------------------------|
6
| Eu (I) | (o) meu (meu livro) | (a) minha (minha caneta) | (os) meus (meus carros) | (as) minhas (minhas chaves) |
7
| Tu (You, informal) | (o) teu (teu amigo) | (a) tua (tua irmã) | (os) teus (teus sapatos) | (as) tuas (tuas ideias) |
8
| Você/Ele/Ela (You/He/She, formal/he/she) | (o) seu (seu passaporte) | (a) sua (sua bolsa) | (os) seus (seus parentes) | (as) suas (suas coisas) |
9
| Nós (We) | (o) nosso (nosso pai) | (a) nossa (nossa mãe) | (os) nossos (nossos filhos) | (as) nossas (nossas filhas) |
10
| Vós (You, plural informal, archaic in BP) | (o) vosso (vosso país) | (a) vossa (vossa casa) | (os) vossos (vossos direitos)| (as) vossas (vossas opiniões)|
11
| Vocês/Eles/Elas (You/They, plural formal/they) | (o) seu (seu computador) | (a) sua (sua família) | (os) seus (seus livros) | (as) suas (suas esperanças) |
12
Key Observations from the Table:
13
The forms for Você/Ele/Ela and Vocês/Eles/Elas are identical (seu, sua, seus, suas). This is a critical point that leads to ambiguity, as seu could mean 'your' (formal singular or plural), 'his', 'her', or 'their'.
14
The forms for tu (teu/tua) are predominantly used in regions of Brazil where tu is common, and throughout Portugal. In most of Brazil, você is used, even in informal contexts, meaning seu/sua is used for 'your'.
15
The vosso forms are almost exclusively found in European Portuguese, particularly in more formal or traditional contexts. In Brazilian Portuguese, vocês is universally preferred for the plural 'you', and thus seu/sua (plural forms) or the construction de vocês is used.
16
Examples:
17
Minha mochila é pesada. (My backpack is heavy.) - mochila is feminine singular, so minha.
18
Seu carro está estacionado aqui? (Is your car parked here?) - carro is masculine singular, so seu.
19
Nossos amigos chegam amanhã. (Our friends arrive tomorrow.) - amigos is masculine plural, so nossos.

When To Use It

Possessive adjectives are used to express a variety of relationships beyond simple ownership. They indicate belonging, association, or a relationship between two entities. Understanding these nuances helps in natural communication.
  1. 1Direct Possession/Ownership: This is the most straightforward use, indicating that an item belongs to someone.
  • Este é o meu café. (This is my coffee.)
  • Ela esqueceu a sua carteira. (She forgot her wallet.)
  1. 1Relationships (Family, Friends, Colleagues): Possessives are essential for identifying relationships between people.
  • Meu irmão mora em Portugal. (My brother lives in Portugal.)
  • Nossa professora é muito boa. (Our teacher is very good.)
  1. 1Body Parts: When referring to body parts, Portuguese typically uses definite articles (o, a) instead of possessive adjectives if the possessor is clear from context. However, possessives can be used for emphasis or to resolve ambiguity.
  • Lave as mãos. (Wash your hands. - More common than Lave as suas mãos.)
  • Ele levantou a sua voz. (He raised his voice. - Used for emphasis on 'his' voice.)
  1. 1Abstract Concepts/Ideas: Possessives are also used with non-physical concepts.
  • Qual é a sua opinião? (What is your opinion?)
  • Nossa esperança é que tudo melhore. (Our hope is that everything improves.)
  1. 1With Parts of a Whole: To indicate a part belonging to a larger entity.
  • A nossa cidade tem muitos parques. (Our city has many parks.)
  • Seu trabalho é muito importante. (His/Her/Your work is very important.)
  1. 1Fixed Expressions/Idioms: Some common phrases naturally incorporate possessive adjectives.
  • Estou na minha. (I'm in my own space/feeling comfortable.)
  • Dar a sua palavra. (To give one's word.)
It's important to remember that the core rule of gender and number agreement with the possessed item always applies, regardless of the context of use.

Common Mistakes

Learners often make predictable errors when using Portuguese possessive adjectives due to interference from their native language (especially English) or misinterpreting the agreement rules. Recognizing these pitfalls is the first step to avoiding them.
  1. 1Ignoring Gender and Number Agreement: This is by far the most frequent mistake. English speakers tend to translate directly, forgetting that Portuguese possessives must match the possessed noun, not the possessor.
  • Incorrect (English brain): Eu amo meu namorada. (namorada is feminine, meu is masculine)
  • Correct: Eu amo minha namorada. (I love my girlfriend.)
  • Incorrect: Os meus chaves estão na mesa. (chaves is feminine plural, meus is masculine plural)
  • Correct: As minhas chaves estão na mesa. (My keys are on the table.)
Why it's a mistake: This error stems from the English possessive 'my' being invariable. In Portuguese, minha (feminine) must agree with namorada (feminine) and minhas (feminine plural) with chaves (feminine plural). Always check the gender and number of the noun after the possessive adjective.
  1. 1Ambiguity of seu/sua/seus/suas: As seen in the formation table, these forms can mean 'your' (formal singular or plural), 'his', 'her', or 'their'. This can lead to confusion, especially in Brazilian Portuguese.
  • Eu vi a sua mãe.
  • Possible interpretations: 'I saw your mother.' (most common in BP), 'I saw his mother.', 'I saw her mother.', 'I saw their mother.'
Solution (especially in Brazilian Portuguese): Using dele/dela/deles/delas for clarity.
To avoid ambiguity for 'his', 'her', and 'their', Brazilians overwhelmingly prefer the construction de + ele/ela/eles/elas. These forms literally mean 'of him', 'of her', 'of them (masculine)', 'of them (feminine)', and they do not agree with the possessed noun. Instead, they refer directly to the gender and number of the possessor.
| Possessor | 'of him' / 'his' | 'of her' / 'her' | 'of them (masc)' / 'their' | 'of them (fem)' / 'their' |
|-----------|------------------|------------------|-----------------------------|-----------------------------|
| Ele | dele | | | |
| Ela | | dela | | |
| Eles | | | deles | |
| Elas | | | | delas |
Examples for disambiguation:
  • Eu vi a mãe dele. (I saw his mother.)
  • Eu vi a mãe dela. (I saw her mother.)
  • Eu vi a mãe deles. (I saw their (masculine/mixed) mother.)
  • Eu vi a mãe delas. (I saw their (feminine) mother.)
In these cases, mãe is always feminine singular, but dele/dela/deles/delas clarify who the mother belongs to. For 'your' (referring to você/vocês), seu/sua is still common and generally understood in BP, though de você/de vocês can also be used for emphasis.
  1. 1Omitting the Definite Article (in European Portuguese): While optional in informal Brazilian Portuguese, dropping the article before a possessive adjective in European Portuguese sounds unnatural and ungrammatical.
  • Incorrect (in EP): Meu carro é azul.
  • Correct (in EP): O meu carro é azul. (My car is blue.)
Why it's a mistake: In EP, the definite article serves a grammatical function, making the phrase sound complete and natural. In BP, the omission is a feature of its more conversational syntax.
  1. 1Confusing teu/tua with seu/sua: This occurs when learners don't distinguish between the informal tu and formal/general você forms for 'you'.
  • If you are speaking to someone using tu (common in parts of Brazil like the South, and generally in Portugal), you should use teu/tua.
  • If you are speaking to someone using você (most common in Brazil, and also used formally in Portugal), you should use seu/sua.
  • Tu queres a tua caneta? (Do you want your pen? - Using tu and tua)
  • Você quer a sua caneta? (Do you want your pen? - Using você and sua)
The choice depends on the regional variant and level of formality you're employing.

Real Conversations

To truly grasp possessive adjectives, it's vital to see them in action within authentic communication. These examples reflect how native speakers use these forms in various modern contexts, from casual chats to more formal interactions.

Casual Texting/Social Media (Brazilian Portuguese):

- Friend A: Sua foto ficou linda! (Your photo turned out beautiful!) - Here, sua refers to 'your' (você implied), agreeing with foto (feminine singular).

- Friend B: Obrigada! E seu cachorrinho, como está? (Thanks! And your little dog, how is he?) - seu refers to 'your', agreeing with cachorrinho (masculine singular).

- Friend A: Ele tá ótimo, mas minha gata sumiu. (He's great, but my cat disappeared.) - minha agrees with gata (feminine singular).

Everyday Conversation (European Portuguese):

- Colleague 1: Onde está o teu computador portátil? Preciso de o usar. (Where is your laptop? I need to use it.) - teu agrees with computador portátil (masculine singular), using tu address.

- Colleague 2: Está na minha secretária. Mas o meu carregador está no meu saco. (It's on my desk. But my charger is in my bag.) - minha agrees with secretária (feminine singular), meu with carregador (masculine singular), meu with saco (masculine singular). Note the mandatory articles.

Disambiguation with dele/dela (Brazilian Portuguese):

- Person 1: A Maria trouxe a bolsa dela. (Maria brought her bag.) - dela clearly indicates the bag belongs to Maria.

- Person 2: E o João? Cadê o carro dele? (And João? Where's his car?) - dele clearly indicates the car belongs to João.

- Person 1: Eles deixaram as coisas deles no carro. (They left their things in the car.) - deles clearly indicates the things belong to 'them' (João and Maria).

Formal Interaction/Work Email (Both Variants):

- A sua proposta foi recebida e está em análise. (Your proposal has been received and is under review.) - sua agrees with proposta (feminine singular). The formal tone here ensures sua is understood as 'your'.

- Agradecemos a sua atenção. (We appreciate your attention.) - Common polite closing, sua agrees with atenção (feminine singular).

These examples highlight the natural flow of possessive adjectives. Pay attention to how the agreement rules are consistently applied and how dele/dela is used for precision when needed.

Quick FAQ

This section addresses common questions that learners frequently have regarding possessive adjectives, providing quick answers and clarifying nuances.
Q: Can I always use the article (o, a, os, as) before the possessive adjective?

Yes, it is always grammatically correct to use the definite article before a possessive adjective. In European Portuguese, it is generally mandatory. In Brazilian Portuguese, it is optional, especially in informal spoken language, but still very common and often used for emphasis or in formal contexts. When in doubt, include the article.

  • O meu carro é vermelho. (My car is red.) - Always correct.
  • Meu carro é vermelho. (My car is red.) - Common in BP, less so in EP.
Q: What about vosso/vossa/vossos/vossas? When do I use these?

The forms vosso are the possessive adjectives corresponding to the subject pronoun vós (plural 'you'). In Brazil, vós is archaic and almost never used in modern spoken Portuguese; therefore, vosso forms are virtually absent from Brazilian Portuguese. In European Portuguese, vós and its corresponding vosso forms are still used, particularly in some regions, religious contexts, or very formal address, though vocês is far more common. For A1 learners, it's generally safe to focus on seu/sua/seus/suas when addressing multiple people or de vocês in Brazilian Portuguese.

  • Vossa Majestade (Your Majesty) - A very formal, archaic usage.
  • Qual é a vossa opinião? (What is your (plural) opinion?) - More common in EP, especially formally.
Q: How do I know if a noun is masculine or feminine to apply the correct possessive?

This is a fundamental challenge in Portuguese. Many nouns ending in -o are masculine, and many ending in -a are feminine (e.g., o livro, a caneta). However, there are many exceptions (e.g., a mão - feminine, o problema - masculine). For A1 learners, the best approach is to learn the gender with each new noun. You can also often infer gender from the definite article that precedes the noun (o for masculine, a for feminine).

  • Minha mesa (My table) - mesa is feminine.
  • Meu relógio (My watch) - relógio is masculine.
Q: Can I use dele/dela for 'your' (referring to você) to avoid ambiguity?

While dele/dela is primarily used for 'his', 'her', and 'their' to disambiguate from seu/sua, you can technically use de você or de vocês for 'your' in Brazilian Portuguese, particularly for emphasis or clarity.

  • Este é o carro de você. (This is your car. - Brazilian Portuguese, for emphasis on 'you')
  • Estas são as chaves de vocês. (These are your (plural) keys. - Brazilian Portuguese)
However, seu/sua is perfectly acceptable and widely understood for 'your' (singular and plural você) in Brazilian Portuguese, and is less common to replace seu/sua with de você unless strong emphasis is needed. In European Portuguese, seu/sua is consistently used for 'your' (formal) and 'his/her/their'.
Q: Are there any situations where a possessive adjective is not used even when possession is implied?

Yes, especially with body parts and personal items when the possessor is clear from the verb or context. Instead of a possessive adjective, Portuguese often uses a definite article.

  • Eu lavei as mãos. (I washed my hands.) - Rather than Eu lavei as minhas mãos.
  • Ele quebrou a perna. (He broke his leg.) - Rather than Ele quebrou a sua perna.
This is because the ownership is implicitly understood by the subject of the sentence. Using the possessive adjective in such cases isn't necessarily wrong but can sound less natural or more emphatic.

Possessive Adjectives Table

Owner Masc. Sing. Fem. Sing. Masc. Plural Fem. Plural
My
meu
minha
meus
minhas
Your (informal)
teu
tua
teus
tuas
Your/His/Her
seu
sua
seus
suas
Our
nosso
nossa
nossos
nossas
Your (plural)
vosso
vossa
vossos
vossas
Their
seu
sua
seus
suas

Meanings

Possessive adjectives indicate ownership or relationship between a person and an object or person.

1

Ownership

Indicates possession of an object.

“Meu telefone é novo.”

“Sua caneta está aqui.”

2

Relationship

Indicates family or social connection.

“Minha mãe é médica.”

“Seu irmão mora longe.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Possessive Adjectives: My, Your, His (meu, teu, seu)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Possessive + Noun
Meu carro
Negative
Não + Possessive + Noun
Não é meu carro
Question
Possessive + Noun + ?
É seu carro?
Plural
Possessive (plural) + Noun (plural)
Meus livros
Feminine
Feminine Possessive + Fem. Noun
Minha casa
Formal
O/A + Possessive + Noun
O seu livro

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Este é o meu livro.

Este é o meu livro. (General)

Neutral
Este é meu livro.

Este é meu livro. (General)

Informal
É meu livro.

É meu livro. (General)

Slang
Tá aqui meu livro.

Tá aqui meu livro. (General)

Possessive Agreement Map

Possessive Adjective

Gender

  • Masculine meu/seu
  • Feminine minha/sua

Number

  • Singular meu/minha
  • Plural meus/minhas
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Examples by Level

1

Este é meu livro.

This is my book.

2

Minha casa é grande.

My house is big.

3

Seu carro é azul.

Your car is blue.

4

Meus amigos estão aqui.

My friends are here.

1

Onde está minha chave?

Where is my key?

2

Seus pais moram no Brasil?

Do your parents live in Brazil?

3

Nossa casa é pequena.

Our house is small.

4

Minhas aulas começam cedo.

My classes start early.

1

A sua ideia é muito interessante.

Your idea is very interesting.

2

Eles perderam seus documentos.

They lost their documents.

3

Minha opinião sobre o assunto mudou.

My opinion on the subject changed.

4

Nossos planos para o fim de semana.

Our plans for the weekend.

1

O seu comportamento não foi adequado.

Your behavior was not appropriate.

2

A minha perspectiva é diferente da sua.

My perspective is different from yours.

3

Eles trouxeram suas próprias ferramentas.

They brought their own tools.

4

A nossa empresa valoriza a inovação.

Our company values innovation.

1

A sua excelência, o senhor embaixador.

Your Excellency, the ambassador.

2

A minha alma anseia por paz.

My soul yearns for peace.

3

Os seus argumentos carecem de fundamento.

Your arguments lack foundation.

4

A nossa história é marcada por desafios.

Our history is marked by challenges.

1

A sua vinda aqui foi inesperada.

Your coming here was unexpected.

2

Os meus intentos foram mal interpretados.

My intentions were misinterpreted.

3

A sua dignidade é inquestionável.

Your dignity is unquestionable.

4

As nossas pretensões são elevadas.

Our pretensions are high.

Easily Confused

Possessive Adjectives: My, Your, His (meu, teu, seu) vs Seu vs. Dele/Dela

Seu can mean your, his, or her, causing ambiguity.

Possessive Adjectives: My, Your, His (meu, teu, seu) vs Teu vs. Seu

Teu is informal 'your', Seu is formal/standard 'your'.

Possessive Adjectives: My, Your, His (meu, teu, seu) vs Possessive vs. Article

Learners forget the article in Portugal.

Common Mistakes

✗

Minha livro

✓

Meu livro

Livro is masculine, so it needs meu.
✗

Meu casa

✓

Minha casa

Casa is feminine, so it needs minha.
✗

Meus carro

✓

Meu carro

Carro is singular, so it needs singular possessive.
✗

Seu mãe

✓

Sua mãe

Mãe is feminine.
✗

O meu carro é o seu

✓

O meu carro é o dele

Using 'seu' can be ambiguous.
✗

Nossos casa

✓

Nossa casa

Agreement error.
✗

Minhas amigo

✓

Meus amigos

Gender agreement.
✗

O meu pai

✓

Meu pai

Article usage varies by region.
✗

Sua casa é a minha

✓

A sua casa é a minha

Article missing.
✗

O carro de você

✓

O seu carro

Redundancy.
✗

O seu livro é muito bom

✓

O livro do senhor é muito bom

Formal clarity.
✗

Minha alma é meu

✓

Minha alma é minha

Agreement.
✗

Seus argumentos são meu

✓

Seus argumentos são meus

Agreement.

Sentence Patterns

Este é ___ ___.

Onde está ___ ___?

___ ___ são muito bonitos.

Eu gosto da ___ ___.

Real World Usage

Texting constant

Cadê meu carregador?

Job Interview very common

Minha experiência é vasta.

Travel common

Onde é meu hotel?

Food Delivery common

Onde está meu pedido?

Social Media constant

Minha família é tudo.

Formal Letter occasional

Agradeço a sua atenção.

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💡

Gender Check

Always check the noun's ending. -o is usually masculine, -a is feminine.
⚠️

Ambiguity

If 'seu' is confusing, use 'dele' or 'dela'.
🎯

Regionalism

In Portugal, always add the article (o/a) before the possessive.
💬

Family

In many regions, you can drop the article before family members (minha mãe).

Smart Tips

Replace 'seu' with 'dele' or 'dela' to be 100% clear.

O seu carro é rápido. → O carro dele é rápido.

Look at the article or the last letter of the noun.

Meu casa. → Minha casa.

Always add 'o' or 'a' before the possessive.

Meu livro. → O meu livro.

You can often drop the article even in Portugal for family.

O meu pai. → Meu pai.

Pronunciation

meu -> /meu/

Vowel reduction

In unstressed syllables, 'o' sounds like 'u'.

Question

É seu carro? ↑

Rising intonation for yes/no questions.

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Remember 'M-M-S-S': My (Meu), Your (Teu), His/Her (Seu), Our (Nosso).

Visual Association

Imagine holding a book. If it's a 'livro', you hold it and say 'Meu'. If you hold a 'caneta', you say 'Minha'.

Rhyme

Meu, minha, meus, minhas, it's the object that defines the lines.

Story

Maria is looking for her things. She finds her pen (minha caneta) and her book (meu livro). She is happy because she found her things (minhas coisas).

Word Web

meuminhateutuaseusuanossonossa

Challenge

Point to 5 objects in your room and say 'Meu/Minha [object]' out loud.

Cultural Notes

Possessives are often used without the definite article.

Possessives almost always take the definite article.

Using 'seu' can be seen as very formal or even old-fashioned in some contexts.

Derived from Latin possessive adjectives.

Conversation Starters

“

Qual é o seu nome?

“

Onde está o seu telefone?

“

Como é a sua família?

“

Quais são os seus planos?

Journal Prompts

Describe your room using possessives.
Write about your family members.
Describe your ideal job.
Reflect on your life goals.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank.

Este é ___ (my) livro.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: meu
Livro is masculine singular.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

___ (My) casa é grande.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Minha
Casa is feminine singular.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Meu mesa é nova.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Minha mesa é nova
Mesa is feminine.
Make plural. Sentence Transformation

Meu carro é azul.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Meus carros são azuis
Pluralize both noun and adjective.
Is this correct? True False Rule

In Brazil, we often omit the article before possessives.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: True
Yes, it is common in Brazil.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Onde está seu livro? B: ___ livro está na mesa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Meu
The speaker is referring to their own book.
Order the words. Sentence Building

é / meu / carro / este

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Este é meu carro
Standard word order.
Match the possessive. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Meu, Seu, Seu, Nosso
Basic possessive forms.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

Este é ___ (my) livro.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: meu
Livro is masculine singular.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

___ (My) casa é grande.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Minha
Casa is feminine singular.
Correct the sentence. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Meu mesa é nova.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Minha mesa é nova
Mesa is feminine.
Make plural. Sentence Transformation

Meu carro é azul.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Meus carros são azuis
Pluralize both noun and adjective.
Is this correct? True False Rule

In Brazil, we often omit the article before possessives.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: True
Yes, it is common in Brazil.
Complete the dialogue. Dialogue Completion

A: Onde está seu livro? B: ___ livro está na mesa.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Meu
The speaker is referring to their own book.
Order the words. Sentence Building

é / meu / carro / este

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Este é meu carro
Standard word order.
Match the possessive. Match Pairs

Match: My, Your, His, Our

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Meu, Seu, Seu, Nosso
Basic possessive forms.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

12 exercises
Fill in the blank with the correct form for 'your' (informal/tu). Fill in the Blank

Onde está o ___ (your) passaporte?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: teu
Complete with 'our'. Fill in the Blank

Nós amamos a ___ (our) cidade.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nossa
Identify the correct plural form. Multiple Choice

How do you say 'My friends (fem.)'?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Minhas amigas
Correct the gender mismatch. Error Correction

Este é meu bicicleta.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Esta é minha bicicleta.
Use the Brazilian hack for 'Her'. Fill in the Blank

O nome ___ (her) é Ana.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: dela
Match the possessive to the English meaning (assuming masculine object). Match Pairs

Match correctly:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Meu::My
Which phrase implies 'Your (formal) ticket'? Multiple Choice

Select the correct option:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: O seu bilhete
Complete the sentence. Fill in the Blank

Eu preciso do ___ (my) computador.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: meu
Fix the plural agreement. Error Correction

Os nossos problema são grandes.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Os nossos problemas são grandes.
Translate 'their' referring to a group of men. Fill in the Blank

A casa ___ (their) é bonita.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: deles
Which is the European Portuguese preference? Multiple Choice

My book.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: O meu livro
Complete with the correct possessive. Fill in the Blank

Você lavou a ___ (your) roupa?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: sua

Score: /12

FAQ (8)

It is a historical evolution. Context is key to distinguishing between your, his, and her.

In Portugal, yes. In Brazil, it is optional and often omitted.

Use 'minha'.

No, use 'meus' or 'minhas'.

It is used in some regions, but 'seu' is more common.

Check the ending: -o is usually masc, -a is fem.

It can be, but it is also the standard possessive for third person.

Use 'dele' or 'dela'.

Scaffolded Practice

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4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

mi, tu, su

Portuguese changes 'meu/minha' while Spanish uses 'mi' for both.

French moderate

mon, ma, mes

French uses 'mon' for feminine nouns starting with a vowel.

German moderate

mein, dein, sein

German has a much more complex case system.

Japanese low

no

Japanese has no gender agreement for possessives.

Arabic low

Suffixes

Arabic uses suffixes rather than separate adjectives.

Chinese low

de

Chinese possessives are invariant.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Next
This vs That: Este, Esse, Aquele

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