Topics
IntermediatePossession
How ownership and relationships are expressed in Spanish, English and Chinese.
Compare languages
English uses apostrophe-s or possessive pronouns. Spanish uses de or possessive adjectives that agree with the possessed object. Chinese uses 的 after the owner, with zero-marking for close relationships.
Overview
Possession expresses who owns or is related to something.
- Spanish: Uses the preposition de for most possession. Possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su) agree in number with the possessed object. Body parts usually take a definite article, not a possessive.
- English: Uses the apostrophe-s (‘s) for people and animals, or possessive pronouns (my, your, his, her, its, our, their). Possessive pronouns (mine, yours, his, hers, ours, theirs) stand alone.
- Chinese: Uses 的 after the owner. With close relationships (family, close friends), 的 is often omitted. No possessive pronouns distinct from possessive adjectives.
Spanish
De + noun (basic possession)
The most common way to show possession:
- el coche de María (Mary’s car)
- la casa de mis padres (my parents’ house)
- un amigo de Juan (a friend of Juan’s)
Never use apostrophe-s in Spanish.
Possessive adjectives
| Person | Singular possessed | Plural possessed |
|---|---|---|
| my | mi | mis |
| your (tú) | tu | tus |
| his/her/your (usted) | su | sus |
| our | nuestro/a | nuestros/as |
| your (vosotros) | vuestro/a | vuestros/as |
| their/your (ustedes) | su | sus |
Agreement: Possessives agree with the possessed noun, not the owner:
- mi libro (my book) / mis libros (my books)
- nuestra casa (our house) / nuestros coches (our cars)
Note: su is ambiguous — it can mean his, her, your (formal), or their.
Possessive pronouns
| Person | Masculine singular | Feminine singular | Masculine plural | Feminine plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| mine | el mío | la mía | los míos | las mías |
| yours | el tuyo | la tuya | los tuyos | las tuyas |
| his/hers/yours | el suyo | la suya | los suyos | las suyas |
| ours | el nuestro | la nuestra | los nuestros | las nuestras |
| yours (pl) | el vuestro | la vuestra | los vuestros | las vuestras |
| theirs | el suyo | la suya | los suyos | las suyas |
- Este libro es mío. (This book is mine.)
- Esa casa es nuestra. (That house is ours.)
Body parts — definite article, not possessive
With body parts, Spanish uses a definite article, with the possessor indicated by the verb or pronoun:
- Me duele la cabeza. (My head hurts. — lit. “The head hurts to me.”)
- Se lavó las manos. (He washed his hands. — lit. “He washed the hands.”)
- Levanta la mano. (Raise your hand. — lit. “Raise the hand.”)
English
Apostrophe-s (‘s)
Used for people, animals, and sometimes organizations:
- John*‘s** book* (singular owner)
- the children*‘s** toys* (plural ending in -n)
- my parents*’** house* (plural ending in -s)
- a week*‘s** pay* (time expressions)
Possessive adjectives
| Person | Adjective |
|---|---|
| I | my |
| you | your |
| he | his |
| she | her |
| it | its |
| we | our |
| they | their |
These always precede a noun:
- This is my book.
- That is her car.
Possessive pronouns
| Person | Pronoun |
|---|---|
| I | mine |
| you | yours |
| he | his |
| she | hers |
| it | its (rare) |
| we | ours |
| they | theirs |
These stand alone, replacing noun + possessive adjective:
- This book is mine. (= This is my book.)
- That car is hers. (= That is her car.)
Of-construction
For inanimate objects and longer phrases, English prefers of:
- the roof of the house (NOT the house’s roof — though both are heard)
- the name of the movie
- a friend of mine (double possession)
Its vs it’s
- its = possessive: The dog wagged its tail.
- it’s = it is / it has: It’s raining. / It’s been a long day.
Chinese
的 as possession marker
的 follows the owner:
- 我的书 (my book)
- 约翰的车 (John’s car)
- 我们的家 (our home)
Omitting 的 with close relationships
With family and very close friends, 的 is often dropped:
- 我爸爸 (my dad) — NOT 我的爸爸 (sounds distant)
- 他妈妈 (his mom)
- 我朋友 (my friend) — 的 optional
Rule: Monosyllabic pronoun + close relationship noun → 的 usually omitted.
No possessive pronouns
Chinese does not distinguish possessive adjectives from pronouns:
- 这是我的书。(This is my book.)
- 这本书是我的。(This book is mine.)
Both use 我的.
Multiple possession
Chinese chains 的:
- 我的朋友的车 (my friend’s car)
- 他的老师的书 (his teacher’s book)
Body parts
Chinese often uses possessives for body parts, unlike Spanish:
- 我头疼。(My head hurts.)
- 洗手。(Wash hands.)
But the possessor can be omitted when context is clear.
Comparison at a glance
| Feature | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic marker | de | ’s / of | 的 |
| Possessive adjective | mi/mis, tu/tus… | my, your, his… | 我的, 你的… |
| Agreement | Yes (with possessed) | No | No |
| Possessive pronoun | el mío/la mía… | mine, yours, his… | 我的, 你的… (same as adjective) |
| Body parts | Definite article | Possessive adjective | Possessive or bare noun |
| Close relationships | No special rule | Apostrophe required | 的 often omitted |
| Multiple possession | de + de | ’s chain / of | 的 + 的 |
Examples
In Context
| Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|
| el coche de mi padre | my father*‘s** car* | 我爸爸的车 |
| Ese libro es mío. | That book is mine. | 那本书是我的。 |
| Me duele la cabeza. (the head) | My head hurts. | 我头疼。 |
Common mistakes
-
English speakers learning Spanish: Apostrophe-s: Maria’s coche → el coche de María
-
English speakers learning Spanish: Wrong possessive agreement: mi libros → mis libros
-
English speakers learning Chinese: Adding 的 to everything: 我的爸爸 → 我爸爸
-
English speakers learning Spanish: Possessive for body parts: mi cabeza duele → me duele la cabeza
Related topics
- Pronouns: How personal pronouns relate to possessive forms
- Articles: How definiteness interacts with possession
- Prepositions: How de, of, and 的 mark relationships
- Word Order: How possession phrases fit into sentence structure
Examples
Basic possession (John's book)
el libro de Juan
Possessive adjective (my)
mi / mis (agrees with noun)
Possessive pronoun (mine)
el mío / la mía / los míos / las mías
Possession with close relationships
No special rule
Multiple possession
de + de chaining
Body parts (inalienable)
Definite article, not possessive
Examples
Basic possession (John's book)
John's book
Possessive adjective (my)
my (invariable)
Possessive pronoun (mine)
mine (invariable)
Possession with close relationships
Apostrophe required
Multiple possession
's chaining (awkward) or of
Body parts (inalienable)
Possessive adjective
Examples
Basic possession (John's book)
约翰的书
Possessive adjective (my)
我的
Possessive pronoun (mine)
我的
Possession with close relationships
的 often omitted
Multiple possession
的 + 的 chaining
Body parts (inalienable)
Possessive or bare noun
Comparison at a glance
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic possession (John's book) | el libro de Juan | John's book | 约翰的书 |
| Possessive adjective (my) | mi / mis (agrees with noun) | my (invariable) | 我的 |
| Possessive pronoun (mine) | el mío / la mía / los míos / las mías | mine (invariable) | 我的 |
| Possession with close relationships | No special rule | Apostrophe required | 的 often omitted |
| Multiple possession | de + de chaining | 's chaining (awkward) or of | 的 + 的 chaining |
| Body parts (inalienable) | Definite article, not possessive | Possessive adjective | Possessive or bare noun |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Side-by-side comparison
| Grammar concepts | Spanish | English | Chinese |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic possession (John's book) | el libro de Juan | John's book | 约翰的书 |
| Possessive adjective (my) | mi / mis (agrees with noun) | my (invariable) | 我的 |
| Possessive pronoun (mine) | el mío / la mía / los míos / las mías | mine (invariable) | 我的 |
| Possession with close relationships | No special rule | Apostrophe required | 的 often omitted |
| Multiple possession | de + de chaining | 's chaining (awkward) or of | 的 + 的 chaining |
| Body parts (inalienable) | Definite article, not possessive | Possessive adjective | Possessive or bare noun |
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Examples in context
Basic possession (John's book)
Spanish
el libro de Juan
English
John's book
Chinese
约翰的书
Possessive adjective (my)
Spanish
mi / mis (agrees with noun)
English
my (invariable)
Chinese
我的
Possessive pronoun (mine)
Spanish
el mío / la mía / los míos / las mías
English
mine (invariable)
Chinese
我的
Possession with close relationships
Spanish
No special rule
English
Apostrophe required
Chinese
的 often omitted
Multiple possession
Spanish
de + de chaining
English
's chaining (awkward) or of
Chinese
的 + 的 chaining
Body parts (inalienable)
Spanish
Definite article, not possessive
English
Possessive adjective
Chinese
Possessive or bare noun
Select at least one language to view comparisons
Key Takeaways
Spanish: Uses the preposition de for most possession. Possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su) agree in number with the possessed object. Body parts usuall.
English: Uses the apostrophe-s ('s) for people and animals, or possessive pronouns (my, your, his, her, its, our, their). Possessive pronouns (mine,.
Chinese: Uses 的 after the owner. With close relationships (family, close friends), 的 is often omitted. No possessive pronouns distinct from posse.
Key concepts compared: Basic possession (John's book), Possessive adjective (my), Possessive pronoun (mine).
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Spanish use 'de' for possession while English uses apostrophe-s?
When does Chinese omit 的 (de) in possession?
How do Spanish possessive adjectives differ from English in agreement?
References
- Nueva gramática de la lengua española — Real Academia Española / Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, 2010
- The Cambridge Grammar of the English Language — Huddleston & Pullum, Cambridge University Press, 2002
- A Comprehensive Grammar of the Modern Chinese Language — Li & Thompson, 1981
Last updated: June 4, 2026