su
/su/singular
The Spanish word for "his" is su. Wiktionary also lists sus.
Meaning: attributive: belonging to him (det)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| su | /su/ | singular |
| sus | /sus/ | plural |
The word su is an attributive possessive used to indicate that something belongs to him.
Which one should you use?
The form of the word changes based on the object being possessed rather than the owner. Use su if the object being possessed is singular. Use sus if the objects being possessed are plural. For different ways to express "his" as a pronoun, use the related forms suyo, suya or suyos instead of the attributive forms.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form agrees with the noun that follows it. Even if only one person owns the objects, you must use sus if those objects are plural. The word does not change to match the gender or number of the owner, but rather the number of the things owned.
How do you pronounce it?
/su/
Did you know?
- Modern Spanish slang has adopted the English word 'sus' meaning 'suspicious', which is spelled identically to the plural word for 'his'.
- While su means 'his', it is also the standard way to address a stranger or a boss as 'your' in formal Spanish.
- Because su can also mean 'her', 'its', 'their', or 'your' (formal), using it alone can create ambiguity in a sentence. In many Spanish-speaking cultures, speakers avoid this by using the phrase de él to clarify that the object belongs specifically to 'him'.
Examples in context
- Amo a su hijo.I love his son.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of su with a singular noun.Tatoeba #2351619 by Shishir, translation #1931868 by Spamster
- Él es su amigo.He is his friend.This sentence demonstrates how to use su to describe a relationship.Tatoeba #506053 by Shishir, translation #853142 by piksea
- Esa es su casa.That's his house.This sentence shows su being used with a singular noun like "house".Tatoeba #795580 by Shishir, translation #794269 by CK
- Su libroHis/Her book
- Su casaHis/Her house
- Sus librosHis/Her books
- Sus casasHis/Her houses
- Su perroHis/Her dog
- Su cocheHis/Her car
- Sus perrosHis/Her dogs
- Sus cochesHis/Her cars
- Le compré su libroI bought him/her his/her book.
- Ese libro es de élThat book is his.
- 7376 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Elena and Mateo are talking about their mutual acquaintance's new job.
- Elena¿Cómo está su nuevo jefe?How is his new boss?
- MateoSu jefe es muy amable.His boss is very kind.
- ElenaQué bueno que le gusta su trabajo.It's good that he likes his job.
- MateoSí, él está muy feliz.Yes, he is very happy.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “his” translations and entries su, sus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries su, sus, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
