Which Word for ‘Your’ in Spanish Should You Use?

By mastering the different ways to say “your” in Spanish, you’ll feel comfortable asking all sorts of questions. Conversation starters like “What is your favorite color?” or “What is your name?” in Spanish depend on using the right word for “your” (tu, su, or vuestro). Each pronoun indicates whether you’re talking to someone formally or informally and if you’re talking to one person or a group. 

Table of Contents

• How to say “your” in Spanish depends on who you’re talking to 
• Tu  
• Vuestro
• Su

How to say “your” in Spanish depends on who you’re talking to 

If you’ve studied subject pronouns in Spanish, you may already be familiar with tú vs usted, the two informal singular “you” forms. Understanding the different ways to say “you” in Spanish will help you navigate Spanish possessive adjectives so you can choose the right word for “your” to use. 

When talking with a Rosetta Stone tutor, for example, asking them if they prefer tú or usted will help you choose between tu or su when asking personal questions.

• ¿Cuáles son tus pasatiempos favoritos? = What are your favorite hobbies? (informal) 
• ¿Cuáles son sus pasatiempos favoritos? = What are your favorite hobbies? (formal) 

Using the appropriate possessive adjective is key for showing respect and avoiding social faux pas. Here’s a chart for all the ways to say “your” in Spanish based on who you are talking to: 

Subject Pronoun (You)	Formality	Number	Possessive Adjective (Your)
tú	informal	singular	tu(s)
usted	formal	singular	su(s)
vosotros/vosotras (Spain)	informal	plural	vuestro(s)/vuestas
ustedes	formal	plural	su(s)

Tu  

Tu is the most common way to say “your” in Spanish. You’ll use it when speaking to one person in informal settings. 

As you learn Spanish, it’s essential to understand when to use tú (with an accent) and tu (without an accent). Tú is a subject pronoun that means “you” (informal, singular), while tu in Spanish is a possessive adjective that means “your” (informal, singular).

Another difference between tu and tú is that only the latter can be plural. Tu is an adjective, and as a fundamental rule of Spanish grammar, adjectives and nouns must agree in both gender and number. So you’ll use tu with singular possessions and tus with plural possessions. For example, tu perro (your dog) and tus perros (your dogs).

Asking questions using tu(s) paired with common Spanish words for pets, family members, clothing items, and more makes it easy to spark informal conversations about family and relationships, possessions, and personal preferences. For example: 

• ¿Cómo es tu hermana? = What is your sister like?
• ¿Cuál es tu color favorito? = What is your favorite color? 
• ¿Dónde están tus amigos? = Where are your friends? 
• ¿Estas son tus llaves? = Are these your keys? 

Vuestro

Vuestro is used to express “your” in informal contexts when addressing more than one person. Like the subject pronoun vosotros, you’ll only hear vuestro in Spain. By making sure vuestro agrees with the noun it modifies in number and gender, you can easily converse with groups of Spaniards and make authentic connections. For example: 

• Vuestro pueblo es hermoso. = Your town is beautiful. 
• Gracias por vuestra hospitalidad. = Thank you for your hospitality. 
• Vuestros hijos son muy amables. = Your children are quite amiable. 
• Me encantan vuestras tapas caseras. = I love your homemade tapas.

In addition to the possessive adjective, vuestro also serves as a Spanish possessive pronoun. While they share a form, they have a different grammatical purpose. The possessive adjective vuestro modifies a noun as seen in the examples above, whereas the possessive pronoun vuestro replaces a noun. For example: 

• Compramos nuestra casa hace cinco años. ¿Cuándo comprasteis la vuestra? = We bought our house five years ago. When did you buy yours? 

For a more thorough understanding of vuestro and other possessive adjectives, you can try looking them up individually in the online Spanish dictionary to learn all the ways they can be used.

Su

You’ll use su in Spanish to say “your” when speaking to one person formally or to a group of people, either formally or informally, depending on the region. In Latin America, su is used for both formal and informal situations, while in Spain, it’s primarily used for formal situations.

Since su and its plural counterpart sus can be used when talking to both one person and groups of people, it’s easy to confuse when to use the plural.

Su is used when referring to a single item or person, even when addressing a group. For example: 

• Carlos, ¿Cuál es su dirección? = Carlos, what is your address? 
• Niños, ¿dónde está su padre? = Children, where is your father? 

Sus is used when referring to multiple items or people belonging to the person or group you are addressing. For example: 

• ¿Cómo están sus hijos? = How are your children? 
• Niños, necesitan recoger sus juguetes. = Children, you need to pick up your toys.  

With a little practice, using tu, su, and vuestro will become second nature. Pay attention to who you’re talking to and whether the object you’re referring to is singular or plural, and you’ll get it right every time!

Immerse yourself in Spanish