Possessives: meu/minha, seu/sua, nosso/nossa

Forms and Agreement

Possessives agree with the THING POSSESSED:

Family and Relationships

• "Minha mãe e meu pai moram juntos" (My mother and father live together)

• "Sua irmã é mais nova?" (Is your sister younger?)

• "O marido dela viaja muito" (Her husband travels a lot)

• "Nossos filhos têm a idade dos seus" (Our children are the age of yours)

Daily Objects

• "Esqueci meu celular em casa" (I forgot my cell phone at home)

• "Seu café está esfriando" (Your coffee is getting cold)

• "A bolsa dela sumiu" (Her purse disappeared)

• "Nosso carro está no conserto" (Our car is being repaired)

Body parts often drop possessives

Unlike English:

• "Lavei as mãos" (I washed my hands)

• "Cortou o cabelo" (She cut her hair)

• "Quebrei o braço" (I broke my arm)

Seu with titles = formal "your"

• "Seu João" = Mr. João (not his João)

• "Sua Excelência" = Your Excellency

• "Seu doutor" = Doctor (formal address)

Possessive pronouns vs. adjectives