Portuguese Possessive Pronouns and Determiners

Report a problem

Your Go-To Resource for All Things Portuguese

Portuguesepedia began as a blog for Portuguese language learners, and Articles carry on that legacy. From detailed guides on Portuguese grammar and pronunciation to inspirational tips and insights, Articles cover everything you need to master the language.

Written in English, these articles often link to related Lessons (on topics like grammar and pronunciation) and connect you to other articles on similar subjects for deeper exploration.

Start exploring Articles today and dive into a wealth of knowledge!

Try Lessons

Start off on the right foot!

Grab my guide with key learning strategies that will forever transform the way you learn Portuguese.

Surprise surprise!

Do you know what constipado means in Portuguese? Probably not what you are thinking...

Get a list of 50+ English-Portuguese False Friends and be surprised.

Articles

A Wealth of Articles on Everything Related to Learning Portuguese

Hello Beginners!

Learn Portuguese on your own terms

Learn more

Portuguese Verb Gems

An exploration of idiomatically rich verbs

Learn more

The BIG 5

The bread & butter of Portuguese prepositions

Learn more

Portuguese Sounds

Because pronunciation matters

Learn more

Portuguese Bad Words

Let me take you on an indecorous journey

Learn more

Perfect vs. Imperfect

Break free from the tyranny of the Present tense

Learn more

StoryLift

Let stories lift your Portuguese to another level

Learn more

Grab your FREE guide: Key Strategies to Learn Portuguese and start your journey to fluency today!

Portuguese possessive pronouns and determiners indicate possession. In English, these are words like my, your, his, her, our, their (possessive determiners) and mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs (possessive pronouns).

Possessive pronouns and determiners look the same in Portuguese. However, while determiners precede the noun they qualify, pronouns replace the noun altogether and thus stand alone:

Possessive determiners (precede the noun)
O meu carro é novo em folha.
My car is brand new.

Possessive pronouns (stand-alone)
Aquele carro ali é meu.
That car over there is mine.

Read on.

Lesson #61 Possessives - Portuguesepedia

Create a rock-solid foundation in Portuguese

All-round Beginners

Portuguese possessive determiners

Possessive determiners precede the noun they qualify and are normally preceded by a definite article:

	Masculine singular	Feminine singular	Masculine plural	Feminine plural
my	o meu amigo	a minha amiga	os meus amigos	as minhas amigas
your	o teu amigo	a tua amiga	os teus amigos	as tuas amigas
formal your his/her *	o seu amigo	a sua amiga	os seus amigos	as suas amigas
our	o nosso amigo	a nossa amiga	os nossos amigos	as nossas amigas
your	o vosso amigo	a vossa amiga	as vossas amigas	os vossos amigos
their *	o seu amigo	a sua amiga	os seus amigos	as suas amigas

* Refer to the “3-person de-possessives” below

Here are a few examples where it is clear that these determiners agree in gender and number with the possessed things:

Trouxeste os nossos livros?
Did you bring our books?

Gostei muito de conhecer os teus pais.
It was a pleasure to meet your parents.

Não sei onde pus as minhas lentes.
I don’t know where I put my lenses.

We often skip the possessive adjective when the relationship between the possessor and the possessed is implicit or obvious:

Vim de carro.
I came in my car.

A Joana falou ao telefone com a prima do Brasil.
Joana spoke on the phone with her cousin from Brazil.

Veste as calças!
Put your trousers on!

Portuguese possessive pronouns

Possessive pronouns replace the noun they refer to (thus standing alone).

	Masculine singular	Feminine singular	Masculine plural	Feminine plural
mine	(o) meu	(a) minha	(os) meus	(as) minhas
yours	(o) teu	(a) tua	(os) teus	(as) tuas
formal yours his/hers*	(o) seu	(a) sua	(os) seus	(as) suas
ours	(o) nosso	(a) nossa	(os) nossos	(as) nossas
yours	(o) vosso	(a) vossa	(as) vossas	(os) vossos
theirs*	(o) seu	(a) sua	(os) seus	(as) suas

* Refer to the “3-person de-possessives” below

Notice how possessive pronouns, like possessive determiners, agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to (and replace):

Share this article

Learning Portuguese takes time, but I make sure it’s worth it. No fluff, just solid materials to keep you motivated. And yes, it’s all by me—Pedro, by the way. Stay tuned!

Become a Member

Grab your FREE guide: Key Strategies to Learn Portuguese and start your journey to fluency today!

I struggled with learning Portuguese for years. Textbooks were overwhelming and conversation classes felt intimidating. Then I found Portuguesepedia! Pedro's clear explanations and engaging video lessons finally made things click.

~ Olivia ~

Pedro's infectious enthusiasm make me laugh while I learn. If you're looking for a fun and effective way to learn Portuguese, Portuguesepedia is the answer.

~ Maria ~

One of the things I appreciate most about Portuguesepedia is the platform's focus on grammar. Pedro's explanations are clear and concise, and the Portuguese-English comparisons make even complex grammar concepts easy to understand. Incredibly helpful.

~ Giulia ~

Let's be honest, learning a new language can feel overwhelming. But this platform has changed my experience. The platform's variety of resources keeps me engaged and motivated.

~ Liam ~

Pedro's dedication to teaching Portuguese shines through every aspect of Portuguesepedia. His passion for the language is contagious and it's evident that he pours his heart and soul into creating engaging and effective lessons.

~ Eba ~

What I love most about Portuguesepedia is the variety of resources available, from video lessons and audiobooks to idiomatic dips and listening drills. It's a holistic approach to language learning that caters to all learning styles.

~ Emely ~

Portuguesepedia proved to be an effective way to learn Portuguese. With Pedro's guidance and the platform's extensive resources (and of course with your determination and persistence), you'll sooner or later be speaking Portuguese.

~ James ~

Pedro's teaching style is not only informative but also incredibly engaging, making it easy to stay motivated and focused. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced learner, Portuguesepedia has a great variety of content and formats that offer something for everyone.

~ Jade ~