Understanding Português Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns in Português are words that show who owns or possesses something. They change form depending on the gender and number of the noun they refer to. This might sound tricky, but it's like saying 'my', 'your', 'his', 'her', 'our', or 'their' in English.
Important Points
- Meu / Minha - Used for 'my'. 'Meu' is for masculine nouns, and 'minha' is for feminine nouns.
- Teu / Tua - Used for 'your' (informal). 'Teu' is for masculine nouns, and 'tua' is for feminine nouns.
- Seu / Sua - Used for 'his', 'her', 'your' (formal), or 'their'. 'Seu' is for masculine nouns, and 'sua' is for feminine nouns.
- Nosso / Nossa - Used for 'our'. 'Nosso' is for masculine nouns, and 'nossa' is for feminine nouns.
- Vosso / Vossa - Used for 'your' (plural or formal). 'Vosso' is for masculine nouns, and 'vossa' is for feminine nouns.
In Português, the possessive pronoun changes to match the gender and number of the thing being owned, not the owner. This is different from English, where the pronoun matches the owner.
Examples
- Meu carro é vermelho. (My car is red.)
- Sua casa é grande. (Her house is big.)
- Nossos amigos são legais. (Our friends are cool.)
Let's see how to use these possessive pronouns in sentences. If you want to say 'my book', you would use 'meu livro' because 'livro' (book) is masculine. If you want to say 'my table', you would say 'minha mesa' because 'mesa' (table) is feminine.
Examples
- Teus brinquedos estão no chão. (Your toys are on the floor.)
- Suas ideias são brilhantes. (Her ideas are brilliant.)
- Vossos esforços serão recompensados. (Your efforts will be rewarded.)