Possessive Adjectives

In English, the word "my" is easy. It never changes. You say "my cat." You say "my cats." In Portuguese, things are different. These words are like mirrors. They reflect the noun they describe. They must match the gender of the noun. They must also match the number. If the noun is feminine, use the feminine form. If the noun is plural, use the plural form. It is like a matching game. The owner does not decide the gender. The object being owned decides it. This is a very important rule. It is the golden rule of Portuguese possessives. Think of it like a grammar traffic light. Green means you matched the noun correctly!

1. 1Follow these steps to build your phrase:
2. 2Identify the person who owns the object.
3. 3Look at the object itself.
4. 4Determine if the object is masculine or feminine.
5. 5Determine if there is one object or many.
6. 6Select the matching possessive word from the list.
7. 7For "Eu" (I), use meu, minha, meus, or minhas.
8. 8For "Você" (You), use seu, sua, seus, or suas.
9. 9For "Ele/Ela" (He/She), also use seu, sua, seus, or suas.
10. 10For "Nós" (We), use nosso, nossa, nossos, or nossas.
11. 11For "Vocês/Eles/Elas" (You all/They), use seu, sua, seus, or suas.
12. 12Yes, seu does a lot of work! It covers many people. We will talk about that confusion later.

Use these words to show clear ownership. Use them when ordering food at a restaurant. "This is minha pizza," you might say. Use them when asking for directions. "Where is meu hotel?" is a great question. Use them in job interviews. Talk about minha experiência (my experience). Use them when meeting new friends. Introduce meu irmão (my brother) to them. They are perfect for describing your daily routine. "I drive meu carro to work." They make your sentences feel complete and personal.

Do not over-possess everything! In English, we say "I wash my hands." In Portuguese, we often say "I wash the hands." If the owner is obvious, skip the possessive. This happens a lot with body parts. It also happens with clothing you are wearing. "I put on the coat" is enough. Using meu here sounds a bit repetitive. It is like wearing two hats at once. One is usually enough! Also, avoid them if the context is clear. If you are holding your phone, just say "the phone."

Matching the owner instead of the object is common. A man might say minha if he owns a house. The house is feminine, so the word matches the house. It does not matter that the owner is male. This is the biggest hurdle for beginners. Another mistake is the "Seu Confusion." Does seu mean your, his, or her? It can mean all of those! This is the Bermuda Triangle of Portuguese grammar. People get lost here all the time. To be clear, use dele or dela instead. We will look at that in the next section. Finally, don't forget the plural s. Meus livros needs that s on both words!

Let's talk about dele and dela. These mean "of him" and "of her." They are not adjectives. They are contractions. They always go after the noun. O carro dele means "his car." This is much clearer than seu carro. In Brazil, seu usually means "your." People use dele for "his" and dela for "her." It prevents a lot of awkward questions. Imagine saying "I saw sua wife." Does that mean your wife or his wife? Using a esposa dele solves the mystery immediately. It is like a grammar magnifying glass. It brings everything into focus.