mi
/mi/
In Spanish, mi is the word for 'my'.
The word mi is a possessive adjective used to indicate that something belongs to me.
Meaning: belonging to me (det)
Which one should you use?
While mi is used for singular nouns, you should use mis when the noun it accompanies is plural. Additionally, do not confuse the possessive adjective mi with the stressed prepositional pronoun mí, which means 'me' and uses an accent mark.
How does it change in a sentence?
The possessive adjective must agree in number with the noun it modifies. Therefore, you use mis for plural nouns to mean 'my' (plural).
How do you pronounce it?
/mi/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly add an accent to mi when they mean 'my'. The possessive form mi is unaccented.
Did you know?
- Unlike English, Spanish speakers often avoid using mi for parts of the body. They prefer using the definite article el or la, such as saying 'the hand' instead of 'my hand'.
- In Spanish, the word mi shares its spelling and sound with the third note of the solfège musical scale, which corresponds to the note 'E'.
- While mi is the standard word for 'my', placing the related word mío after a noun, like amor mío, changes the tone to something much more poetic, dramatic, or intensely emotional.
Examples in context
- Él es mi tío.He is my uncle.This sentence shows how to use mi to identify a relative.Tatoeba #1249591 by Shishir, translation #297898 by CK
- Tom es mi ex.Tom is my ex.This sentence shows how to use mi to identify an ex-partner.Tatoeba #2343136 by hayastan, translation #2273303 by CK
- No es mi tipo.This is not my type.This sentence shows how to use mi when describing a preference.Tatoeba #2868 by Shishir, translation #1702 by Swift
- Mi libroMy book
- Mi casaMy house
- Mi cocheMy car
- Mis amigosMy friends
- Mis gatosMy cats
- Mis zapatosMy shoes
- Este libro es míoThis book is mine
- Tu bicicleta es míaYour bike is mine
- Ese gato no es tuyo, es míoThat cat is not yours, it's mine
- 12802 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Mateo and Sofía are looking for a lost item in a living room.
- Mateo¿Es este mi cuaderno?Is this my notebook?
- SofíaNo, no es tu cuaderno.No, it is not your notebook.
- MateoEntonces, ¿dónde está mi cuaderno?Then, where is my notebook?
- SofíaCreo que está en mi mochila.I think it is in my backpack.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “my” translations and entries mi, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
