Possessive pronouns are a type of pronoun that indicate ownership or possession. In Portuguese, there are different forms of possessive pronouns for different grammatical persons and numbers. Understanding these forms is essential for effective communication in Portuguese. In this article, we will introduce the six different Portuguese possessive pronouns, explain their usage, and provide example sentences for each.
Meu/Minha (My)
The Portuguese possessive pronoun “meu/minha” indicates that something belongs to the speaker. This pronoun is used for the first person singular. The masculine form is “meu,” and the feminine form is “minha.” Here are some examples:
Meu carro é novo. (My car is new.)
Minha casa fica perto da praia. (My house is near the beach.)
Minha mãe preparou o jantar. (My mother prepared dinner.)
Teu/Tua (Your [Singular Informal])
The possessive pronoun “teu/tua” is used to indicate that something belongs to the person being spoken to in an informal context. This pronoun is used for the second person singular. The masculine form is “teu,” and the feminine form is “tua.” Here are some examples:
Onde está tua mochila? (Where is your backpack?)
Teu cabelo está lindo hoje. (Your hair looks beautiful today.)
Teu cachorro é muito brincalhão. (Your dog is very playful.)
Seu/Sua (Your [Singular Formal or His/Her])
The possessive pronoun “seu/sua” is used to indicate that something belongs to the person being spoken to in a formal context, or to indicate possession of a third person (his/her). This pronoun is used for the third person singular. The masculine form is “seu,” and the feminine form is “sua.” Here are some examples:
Você pode trazer sua identidade? (Can you bring your ID?)
O seu livro está na estante. (Your book is on the shelf.)
A professora corrigiu sua redação. (The teacher corrected his/her essay.)
Nosso/Nossa (Our)
The Portuguese possessive pronoun “nosso/nossa” is used to indicate that something belongs to the speaker and one or more other people. This pronoun is used for the first person plural. The masculine form is “nosso,” and the feminine form is “nossa.” Here are some examples:
Nossa casa é grande e confortável. (Our house is big and comfortable.)
Vamos pegar nosso carro para viajar. (Let’s take our car to travel.)
Nosso time ganhou o jogo. (Our team won the game.)
Vosso/Vossa (Your [Plural Informal])
The possessive pronoun “vosso/vossa” is used to indicate that something belongs to the people being spoken to in an informal context. This pronoun is used for the second person plural. The masculine form is “vosso,” and the feminine form is “vossa.” Here are some examples:
Onde estão vossos sapatos? (Where are your shoes?)
Vossa casa é muito bonita. (Your house is very beautiful.)
Vosso time jogou bem hoje. (Your team played well today.)
Seu/Sua (Your [Plural Formal or Their])
The possessive pronoun “seu/sua” is used to indicate that something belongs to the people being spoken to in a formal context, or to indicate possession of a third person (their). This pronoun is used for the third person plural. The masculine form is “seu,” and the feminine form is “sua.” Here are some examples:
Podemos ver sua apresentação? (Can we see your (plural) presentation?)
Onde está seu carro? (Where is their car?)
Sua empresa é muito bem-sucedida. (Their company is very successful.)
Additional Notes
In Portuguese, the possessive pronoun usually comes after the noun it modifies, unlike in English where it usually comes before the noun. For example, instead of saying “my car” as in English, we say “o meu carro” in Portuguese.
The possessive pronoun must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. For example, if we want to say “my books” in Portuguese, we say “os meus livros” (masculine plural) or “as minhas livros” (feminine plural).
When the noun being modified is implied, the possessive pronoun can be used alone. For example, “Esse livro é meu” (This book is mine) instead of “Esse livro é o meu livro” (This book is my book).
Conclusion
In conclusion, Portuguese possessive pronouns are important to indicate ownership or possession in the language. There are six different forms of possessive pronouns in Portuguese, each indicating possession for a different grammatical person and number. Understanding these pronouns and their usage is essential for effective communication in Portuguese. By mastering these pronouns, you will be able to express yourself more accurately and efficiently in the language.
Originally posted 2023-07-17 13:39:04.