pertenecer
/peɾteneˈθeɾ/
The English phrase 'something belongs to someone' is translated into Spanish as pertenecer.
The verb pertenecer is used to state that a person is the owner of a particular object or property. You can also indicate ownership using possessive adjectives placed before a noun, such as Mi casa (My house) or by using possessive pronouns like mío to refer back to an item, as in El libro es mío (The book is mine).
How does it change in a sentence?
When using the verb to indicate an owner, you must use the preposition a after pertenecer (pertenecer a). For conjugation, the third-person singular form is pertenece (belongs) and the third-person plural form is pertenecen (belong).
How do you pronounce it?
/peɾteneˈθeɾ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid the error of saying pertenecer de. While English speakers might accidentally use 'de' (of), you must use the preposition a (to) when using this verb.
Did you know?
- Using pertenecer to describe a romantic partner as 'belonging' to someone can sound archaic or uncomfortably possessive to a native speaker.
- The verb pertenecer originates from the Latin pertinēre, which originally meant 'to reach' or 'to extend to'.
- In very informal Spanish, people rarely use pertenecer in daily conversation to describe ownership, preferring simpler constructions with ser or tener.
Examples in context
- El perro suyoHis/her dog
- El cuadro perteneciente a la familiaThe painting belonging to the family
- El reloj perteneciente a mi abueloMy grandfather's watch
- El gato suyoHis/her cat
- La bicicleta que te perteneceThe bicycle that belongs to you
- Nuestro perroOur dog
- El perro es tuyoThe dog is yours
- ¿De quién es esta casa?Whose house is this?
- Es la casa de mi hermana.It's my sister's house.
- ¿Y el perro que está en el jardín? ¿Es también de tu hermana?And the dog in the garden? Is it also your sister's?
- No, ese perro es mío.No, that dog is mine.
- Este libro pertenece a María.This book belongs to Maria.
- Este libro debe pertenecer a la biblioteca.This book must belong to the library.
Example conversation
Javier and Elena are looking at a lost wallet in a cafe.
- Javier¿Crees que esta billetera le pertenece a alguien aquí?Do you think this wallet belongs to someone here?
- ElenaNo estoy segura, pero parece pertenecer a un cliente.I am not sure, but it seems to belong to a customer.
- JavierVoy a preguntar si le pertenece a la señora de la mesa.I am going to ask if it belongs to the lady at that table.
- ElenaBuena idea, Javier.Good idea, Javier.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry pertenecer, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries pertenecer, CC BY-SA 4.0.
