Ways to say it
| Portuguese | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| meu | /mew/ (Brazil) /mew/ (Portugal) |
masculine |
| minha | /ˈmĩ.ɲɐ/ (Brazil) /ˈmi.ɲɐ/ (Portugal) |
feminine |
This phrase is a possessive determiner used to indicate that something belongs to the speaker. The specific form you choose depends entirely on the gender and number of the noun being possessed.
Which one should you use?
meu is the masculine singular form, while minha is the feminine singular form. When referring to multiple items, the forms change to meus for masculine plural and minhas for feminine plural.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Portugal, it is common to include a definite article before the possessive, such as in the phrase O meu carro (My car).
How does it change in a sentence?
The form of 'my' must agree in both gender and number with the noun it modifies. For example, you use meu for a masculine singular noun and minha for a feminine singular noun. For multiple nouns, use meus for masculine plural and minhas for feminine plural. Additionally, when expressing possession of body parts, you should use the definite article o/a before the possessive pronoun, such as in o meu braço (my arm).
How do you pronounce it?
/mew/
Did you know?
- The word meu is frequently used as a slang interjection in São Paulo, similar to 'dude' or 'man' in English, and often has nothing to do with possession.
- While English uses 'my' to show ownership, Portuguese speakers often use meu or minha to express affection, such as calling a child meu filho (my son) or even a pet minha querida (my dear).
- In Brazil, people frequently drop the article before meu or minha in casual speech, whereas in Portugal, omitting the article is much less common and can change the tone of the sentence.
Examples in context
- É o meu CD.It's my CD.This sentence shows the use of meu with a masculine noun.Tatoeba #1201104 by alexmarcelo, translation #25536 by CK
- Tom é meu ex.Tom is my ex.This sentence shows the use of meu to describe a person.Tatoeba #5481152 by bill, translation #2273303 by CK
- É o meu gato.It is my cat.Tatoeba #7201220 by Ricardo14, translation #1105935 by CC
- O meu carroMy car
- A minha casaMy house
- O meu cachorro é brincalhão.My dog is playful.
- A minha irmã está estudando medicina.My sister is studying medicine.
- Os meus amigos me apoiam em todas as decisões.My friends support me in all decisions.
- O meu livro favorito é "Dom Casmurro".My favorite book is "Dom Casmurro."
- 13135 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Gabriel and Mariana are in a cafe.
- GabrielMariana, você viu o meu celular?Mariana, did you see my cell phone?
- MarianaNão, Gabriel, eu não vi.No, Gabriel, I didn't see it.
- GabrielAcho que esqueci o meu celular na mesa.I think I left my cell phone on the table.
- MarianaDeixe que eu vou buscar para você.Let me go get it for you.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my” translations and entries meu, minha, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
