Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| mío | /ˈmio/ | |
| de mí | /de mi/ (from spelling rules) | |
| lo mío | /lo mio/ (from spelling rules) | masculine |
The primary way to say 'mine' is through forms of mío, which are used to indicate possession. While mío is the standard possessive, the phrase lo mío has an idiomatic usage meaning 'my thing' or 'my specialty', referring to someone's area of expertise. Note that mina is a different word entirely, referring to an ore excavation or a military landmine.
Which one should you use?
mío is a possessive pronoun meaning 'mine', whereas de mí is a prepositional phrase meaning 'of me' (for example, 'a part of me').
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of 'mine' must change to match the gender and number of the noun it refers to, not the person who owns it. Use mía for feminine singular nouns, míos for masculine plural nouns and mías for feminine plural nouns.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈmio/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often forget that mío must change gender and number to match the object possessed, rather than the person possessing it.
Did you know?
- In some Spanish-speaking regions, calling someone mío or mía in a romantic context can be perceived as possessive or controlling rather than affectionate.
- The word mío is a distant cousin of the English word 'me', as both trace their ancestry back to the same ancient Proto-Indo-European roots for the first person.
- The neuter pronoun lo in lo mío comes from the Latin illud, which specifically referred to 'that' as a neuter object.
Examples in context
- Esto no es mío.This isn't mine.This sentence shows how to use mío in a negative statement.Tatoeba #1284291 by marcelostockle, translation #55625 by CK
- Éste es el mío.This is mine.This sentence demonstrates a positive identification using mío.Tatoeba #4410086 by cueyayotl, translation #2233709 by CK
- ¿Es ése el mío?Is that mine?This sentence is an example of asking a question with mío.Tatoeba #6600135 by arh, translation #2248487 by CK
- El coche es el mío.The car is mine.
- La casa es la mía.The house is mine.
- El gato de mi hermana es pequeño. El mío es más grande.My sister's cat is small. Mine is bigger.
- El libro es el mío.The book is mine.
- El perro es mío.The dog is mine.
- La bicicleta es mía.The bicycle is mine.
- 347 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucía and Daniel are cleaning their shared apartment.
- Lucía¿Este abrigo es tuyo?Is this coat yours?
- DanielNo, el abrigo azul es mío.No, the blue coat is mine.
- LucíaAh, entonces este es de Daniel.Ah, then this one belongs to Daniel.
- DanielNo, ese tampoco es mío.No, that one isn't mine either.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “mine” translations and entries mío, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- IPA marked “from spelling rules” is derived from standard Spanish spelling, where Wiktionary gives none.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries de, lo, mí, mío, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
