Possessives and Demonstratives in Portuguese: Meu, Teu, Este, Esse, Aquele
How Portuguese possessives agree with the noun, the three-way demonstrative system and the neuter forms isto, isso and aquilo.
Words for "my" and "this" are used constantly. In Portuguese they agree with the noun, and the demonstratives come in three levels.
Possessives
They agree with the thing owned, not the owner:
| Owner | m. sing. | f. sing. | m. pl. | f. pl. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| my | meu | minha | meus | minhas |
| your (tu) | teu | tua | teus | tuas |
| his, her, your (você) | seu / dele / dela | sua | seus | suas |
| our | nosso | nossa | nossos | nossas |
| their | seu / deles / delas | sua | seus | suas |
The article
In Portugal the article is normally used: o meu livro, a minha casa. In Brazil it is optional: meu livro or o meu livro.
Clarity: seu or dele?
Seu/sua can mean his, her, your or their, which can be ambiguous. Speakers often use dele, dela, deles, delas instead:
- o carro dele — his car
- a casa dela — her house
- os amigos deles — their friends
Demonstratives
Portuguese has three levels, based on distance from the speaker:
| Distance | m. | f. | Neuter |
|---|---|---|---|
| near me | este | esta | isto |
| near you | esse | essa | isso |
| far from both | aquele | aquela | aquilo |
Plurals: estes, estas, esses, essas, aqueles, aquelas.
Examples
- Este livro é meu. — This book is mine.
- Esse casaco é seu? — Is that coat (near you) yours?
- Aquela casa é grande. — That house (over there) is big.
- O que é isto? — What is this?
- Gosto disso. — I like that.
Brazilian usage
In everyday Brazilian speech, esse/essa often replaces este/esta for things near the speaker, and isso for "this" too. Portugal keeps the distinction more strictly.
Neuter forms
Isto, isso, aquilo refer to things not yet named or to ideas, and don't change:
- Isso é importante. — That's important.
Contractions
With de and em: deste, desse, daquele, neste, nesse, naquele, and disto, disso, daquilo, nisto, nisso, naquilo.
Tips
- Learn the meu/minha pattern.
- Use dele/dela to avoid ambiguity.
- Practise este/esse/aquele.
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