How to say his, her, and their in Portuguese basics

Introduction

Learning how to say his, her, and their in Brazilian Portuguese is a small but powerful step for beginners. These possessive words show ownership and change based on gender, number, and sometimes context. This article explains the basics in clear English and gives practical Brazilian Portuguese examples you can use right away.

Possessive adjectives vs. possessive pronouns

Portuguese distinguishes between possessive adjectives (words that modify a noun) and possessive pronouns (words that replace a noun). For beginners, focus first on possessive adjectives because they appear more often in simple sentences.

Possessive adjective example in English: his book. Possessive pronoun example in English: the book is his.

Key Brazilian Portuguese possessive adjectives

The most common possessive adjectives for third-person singular and plural in Brazilian Portuguese are seu, sua, seus, and suas, and also the gender-specific forms dele, dela, and the plural deles, delas.

Important note: seu/sua can mean his, her, or your (formal), so beginners often learn dele/dela to be clearer.

How gender and number work with possessives

In Brazilian Portuguese, possessive adjectives agree with the noun they modify, not with the owner. That means the form changes for masculine/feminine and singular/plural nouns.

Examples:

o carro dele – the car of his / his car
o carro dela – the car of hers / her car

a casa dele – his house
a casa dela – her house

os livros deles – their books (masculine or mixed group)
as bolsas delas – their bags (all-female group)

Using seu/sua vs. dele/dela

seu/sua is commonly used in Brazil but can be ambiguous. In informal conversation, Brazilians often prefer dele/dela to specify whose something is.

Example context where ambiguity matters:

Maria perguntou ao João sobre seu emprego. This could mean Maria asked João about Maria’s job or about João’s job. To be clear a beginner might say:

Maria perguntou ao João sobre o emprego dele. – Maria asked João about his job.

Maria perguntou ao João sobre o emprego dela. – Maria asked João about her job.

Possessive adjectives chart (quick reference)

Below are the basic forms you will use most often. Remember they agree with the owned noun.

My: meu (m. sing.), minha (f. sing.), meus (m. pl.), minhas (f. pl.)

Your (informal): teu, tua, teus, tuas (less common in many regions of Brazil)

Your (formal) / his / her: seu, sua, seus, suas

His/Her (clarifying form): dele (of him), dela (of her)

Their: seu/sua can still be used but deles/delas are clearer for plural owners.

Common beginner sentences and realistic examples

Short phrases you might see on signs, forms, messages, or in conversation.

Onde está o meu celular? – Where is my phone?

Ela trouxe a mochila dela. – She brought her backpack.

Você viu os documentos dele? – Did you see his documents?

Precisamos das chaves deles. – We need their keys.

Posso usar sua caneta? – Can I use your pen? (here sua could mean your or his/her in context)

Examples in everyday contexts

At a café:

Garçom: Este é o pedido seu?
Cliente: Não, este é o pedido dela. – Waiter: Is this your order?
Customer: No, this is her order.

At work:

Colega: O relatório dele está no e-mail.
Você: Obrigado. – Colleague: His report is in the email. You: Thanks.

Family messages:

Mensagem: A festa deles começa às 19h. – Their party starts at 7 pm.

Possessive pronouns that replace nouns

To say his/hers/theirs as pronouns (without repeating the noun), Brazilian Portuguese uses structures like o dele, a dela, os deles, as delas. These forms literally mean the one of him, the one of her, etc.

Examples:

Este livro é dele. – This book is his.

Aquela casa é dela. – That house is hers.

Esses copos são delas. – These glasses are theirs (female group).

Where to place the possessive

Possessive adjectives usually follow the article and precede the noun: o meu carro, a sua bolsa. But you may also hear the noun first in informal spoken Portuguese for emphasis: o carro meu (less common, regional).

Examples:

o meu carro – my car

a sua bolsa – your/her bag

Important beginner tips and tricks

1) To avoid confusion with seu/sua, use dele/dela when you need clarity, especially in spoken conversation.

2) Always match the possessive adjective to the noun gender and number, not to the owner. Think what is being owned: a casa (feminine) -> a casa dele.

3) Memorize the basic personal possessives (meu/minha, seu/sua, nosso/nossa) with their plural forms because they appear frequently on signs and forms.

4) Pay attention to contractions with prepositions: de + ele becomes dele, de + ela becomes dela, de + eles becomes deles, de + elas becomes delas.

5) In casual speech, context often solves ambiguity. If unsure, add a name: o celular do João or o celular da Maria to be clear.

Common beginner mistakes and how to avoid them

Mistake: Using the possessive that agrees with the owner instead of the noun. Example error: meu casa. Correct: minha casa. Explanation: casa is feminine, so use minha.

Mistake: Always using seu and causing ambiguity. Fix: Use dele/dela when clarity is needed or add the person’s name.

Mistake: Forgetting plural agreement. Example error: seu livros. Correct: seus livros. Explanation: livros is plural so use seus.

Mini practice exercise

Translate these short phrases into Brazilian Portuguese. Try to write them before checking the answers below.

1. His sister

2. Their house (a group of women)

3. My keys

4. The backpack is hers

Answers:

1. a irmã dele

2. a casa delas

3. minhas chaves

4. a mochila é dela

Short conversation using his, her, and their

Luiza: Você conhece o amigo dele? – Do you know his friend?

Paulo: Sim, o amigo dele trabalha no restaurante da minha rua. – Yes, his friend works at the restaurant on my street.

Luiza: E as bicicletas deles? Estão aqui? – And their bikes? Are they here?

Paulo: Não, as bicicletas deles ficaram na casa dela. – No, their bikes stayed at her house.

Extra vocabulary related to possession

proprietário – owner

pertencer – to belong

meio de transporte – mode of transport (useful when saying his car, her bike)

documentos pessoais – personal documents

Conclusion

Mastering his, her, and their in Brazilian Portuguese requires understanding agreement with the noun and the common ambiguity of seu/sua. Use dele/dela/deles/delas to be clearer, practice matching gender and number to the owned noun, and try the short exercises and realistic phrases above to build confidence in everyday situations.