Spanish Possession: Apostrophe S, 'Of' Phrases, and the Difference Between Tú and Su
Learn to show possession in Spanish with de, possessive adjectives, and the crucial difference between tú and su. Includes examples, dialogue, and practice.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
Spanish does not use apostrophe s to show possession. Instead, it uses the preposition de (of). For example, 'Maria's bag' becomes la bolsa de María, and 'the end of the film' becomes el final de la película. This lesson also answers a common question: what is the difference between tú and su? Tú means 'your' (informal singular), while su means 'his', 'her', 'its', 'your' (formal), or 'their'. You will learn to use these correctly in simple sentences.
By the end, you can…
- express possession using de + noun instead of apostrophe s.
- distinguish between tú and su and use them correctly in context.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
La bolsa de María.
Maria's bag.
lah BOHL-sah deh mah-REE-ah
Use de + owner's name. No apostrophe s.
El final de la película.
The end of the film.
el fee-NAHL deh lah peh-LEE-koo-lah
De links two nouns; here, el final and la película.
¿Es tu libro?
Is it your book? (informal)
es too LEE-broh
Tu (without accent) means 'your' for one person you know well.
Es su libro.
It is his/her/your (formal)/their book.
es soo LEE-broh
Su is ambiguous; context or adding de él/ella/usted/ellos clarifies.
El coche de ellos.
Their car.
el KOH-cheh deh EH-yohs
De + pronoun (él, ella, usted, ellos, ellas) clarifies su.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
To show possession, Spanish uses de (of) instead of apostrophe s. The structure is noun + de + owner. Examples: la casa de Juan (Juan's house), el color del cielo (the color of the sky). When de is followed by el, they contract to del: el libro del profesor (the professor's book). Possessive adjectives like mi, tu, su, nuestro also show possession but agree in number with the owned noun: mis libros (my books), tus libros (your books). They do not use de.
When to use it
Use de + noun/pronoun when the owner is a name, a noun, or a pronoun (él, ella, usted, ellos, ellas). For example: el teléfono de Ana (Ana's phone), la idea de ella (her idea). Use possessive adjectives (mi, tu, su, etc.) when the owner is already known from context or is the subject. Tú (with accent) is the subject pronoun 'you'; tu (without accent) is the possessive adjective 'your'. Su can mean 'his', 'her', 'its', 'your' (formal), or 'their'. To avoid ambiguity, use a definite article with de + pronoun: la casa de ella (her house). In Latin America, ustedes is used for plural 'you', and su is also used for 'your' (plural).
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
¿Es tu mochila?
Is it your backpack?es too moh-CHEE-lahNo, no es mi mochila. Es la mochila de Ana.
No, it's not my backpack. It's Ana's backpack.noh, noh es mee moh-CHEE-lah. es lah moh-CHEE-lah deh AH-nah¿Y su mochila?
And your backpack? (formal) / And his/her backpack?ee soo moh-CHEE-lahMi mochila es la azul. La de él es la roja.
My backpack is the blue one. His is the red one.mee moh-CHEE-lah es lah ah-SOOL. lah deh el es lah ROH-hahA little context goes a long way
In Spanish, tú is informal and used with friends, family, and peers. Su is formal (usted) or plural (ustedes), and also means 'his', 'her', or 'their'. In Spain, vosotros is used for informal plural 'you', and vuestro/a is the possessive. In Latin America, ustedes is used for both formal and informal plural, and su is the corresponding possessive. Be aware that su can be ambiguous; adding de él, de ella, de usted, or de ellos clarifies.
One thing to watch for
Using apostrophe s in Spanish, like *Juan's casa*.
Try this instead: Spanish does not use apostrophe s. Say la casa de Juan. Also, do not confuse tú (you) with tu (your). Tú eres mi amigo means 'You are my friend'; tu amigo means 'your friend'.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'Maria's house' in Spanish?
Show a sample answer
La casa de María.
Use de + owner. No apostrophe s. 'La casa de María' is the standard way.
2What is the difference between 'tu' and 'su'?
Show a sample answer
Tu means 'your' (informal singular). Su means 'his', 'her', 'its', 'your' (formal singular), or 'their'.
Tu is used with tú; su is used with usted, él, ella, ellos, ellas. Context clarifies su.
3Translate: 'It is their car.' (using de + pronoun)
Show a sample answer
Es el coche de ellos.
De + pronoun (ellos) clarifies possession. 'Es su coche' is also possible but ambiguous.
Spanish uses de + owner instead of apostrophe s. Remember: tú = you (subject), tu = your (informal), su = his/her/your (formal)/their. Clarify su with de + pronoun when needed.
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