Ch 14 · Lesson 17Spanish · Chapter 14 · Lesson 17 · Grammar primer
Un amigo mío, el de ella: of mine, and clearing up suyo
The long form after a noun means of mine; and say exactly whose when could mean four people.
The short version
A friend of mine is
Why?Hide
English says 'a friend of mine' and learners reach for , which is not Spanish. The long possessive sits straight after the noun with no preposition at all: , , . The same trick gives you 'that car of yours': .
is the standard fix for
, .
Why?Hide
and cover five owners at once, so could be his, hers, yours or theirs. When context does not settle it, native speakers swap the possessive for plus the explicit owner: , , Juan. This is not clumsy padding, it is the normal repair, and you will hear it constantly.
Un amigo mío: of mine
English says a friend of mine. Spanish puts the long form straight after the noun, with :
The same position gives the fixed exclamation ¡ ! - My God!
Suyo, and el de ella
and each cover five owners: his, her, its, your (, ) and their. Usually the context makes it clear. When it does not, Spanish swaps in plus the owner:
Ella (she) and her things: el perro de ella (her dog), el coche de ella (her car), el paraguas de ella (her umbrella). Su perro could also be his, yours or theirs; de ella leaves no doubt.
| Unclear | Clear | English |
|---|---|---|
| | his house |
| | her house |
| | theirs |
| | yours () |
The same works with any owner:
Juan.- My car and Juan's., .- It isn't our car, it's theirs.
Mistakes English speakers make
| Wrong | Right | Why |
|---|---|---|
| of mine: long form after | |
| . | . | agrees with |
| y | | mine, yours: |
| . (his) | . | needs a noun after it |
Going further: The long possessives on one screen and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
Practice
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