su

Definition & meaning

The word su is a possessive adjective in Spanish. Its meaning depends on the context and the owner, but it generally translates to "his," "her," "its," "their," or "your" (formal).

1. Possession (Third person): It indicates that something belongs to a third person (singular or plural) or is related to a formal "you."
   • Examples: Su casa (his/her/their/your house), Su coche (his/her/their/your car).
2. Formal Address: When addressing someone formally (usted), it translates to "your."
   • Example: ¿Es este su libro? (Is this your book?).

Grammar & Word origin

• Grammar: It is an unstressed possessive adjective. Unlike other Spanish possessive adjectives (like nuestro or vuestro), su does not change based on the gender of the object it describes. However, it must agree in number with the object:
  • su: Used for singular objects.
  • sus ↗: Used for plural objects.
• Word origin: It derives from the Latin word suus, which also conveys the meaning of his, her, its, or their own.

Synonyms & antonyms

• Synonyms:

  • De él [?](vocabuo://word/de él) (of him)
  • De ella [?](vocabuo://word/de ella) (of her)
  • De ellos [?](vocabuo://word/de ellos) (of them)
  • De ellas [?](vocabuo://word/de ellas) (of them - feminine)
  • De usted [?](vocabuo://word/de usted) (of you - formal)

• Antonyms:

  • There are no direct lexical antonyms for a possessive adjective, as it functions to establish a relationship of belonging rather than a qualitative description.