cuyo
/ˈkuʝo/masculine
The English phrase 'whose' is translated in Spanish as cuyo in its default form. Wiktionary also lists de quien and cuyos.
Meaning: (relative) that or those of whom or belonging to whom (pron)
Ways to say it
| Spanish | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| cuyo | /ˈkuʝo/ | masculine |
| de quien | /de kjen/ (from spelling rules) | |
| cuyos | /ˈkuʝos/ | masculine, plural |
| cuyas | /ˈkuʝas/ | feminine, plural |
Depending on the context, it can function as a possessive determiner meaning 'whose' or 'of which' or as an interrogative meaning 'of whom'.
Which one should you use?
While cuyo functions as a possessive determiner (whose + noun), de quien is a relative pronoun used to mean 'of whom' without a following noun.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
The relative pronoun 'cuyo' must agree in gender and number with the noun it precedes (the thing possessed), not the person it refers to. The feminine singular form cuya is used when the possessed object is a feminine singular noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/ˈkuʝo/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly try to make cuyo agree with the person being possessed, rather than the noun that follows it.
Did you know?
- In spoken Spanish, cuyo is so rare that using it in a casual conversation can make you sound like you are reading from a 19th-century novel or a legal document.
- The word cuyo is actually a descendant of the Latin genitive form cuius, which is the possessive form of 'who'.
- Unlike the English 'whose', which is strictly a relative or interrogative pronoun, the Spanish cuyo functions more like a determiner, similar to how 'my' or 'their' functions in a sentence.
Examples in context
- Tengo un amigo cuyo padre es mago.I have a friend whose father is a magician.This sentence uses cuyo to show a relationship between a friend and his father.Tatoeba #1762527 by Shishir, translation #250002 by CK
- Tengo un amigo cuyo padre es profesor.I have a friend whose father is a teacher.Tatoeba #1144102 by Shishir, translation #250003 by CK
- Ésa es la mujer cuyo hijo está enfermo.That's the woman whose son is sick.This sentence uses cuyo to show a relationship between a woman and her son.Tatoeba #1129699 by Shishir, translation #873525 by CM
- ¿De quién es este libro?Whose book is this?
- ¿De quién es esta mochila?Whose backpack is this?
- 68 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Daniel and Sofía are talking about a neighbor.
- DanielConozco a un vecino cuyo perro ladra mucho.I know a neighbor whose dog barks a lot.
- Sofía¿En serio? Mi perro es muy tranquilo.Really? My dog is very quiet.
- DanielÉl es un hombre cuyo gato también es ruidoso.He is a man whose cat is also noisy.
- SofíaPobre vecino, debe tener mucho estrés.Poor neighbor, he must be very stressed.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “whose” translations and entries cuyo, cuyos, cuyas, 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 cuyo, de, quien, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
