In Spanish, “su” can mean his, her, your (formal), or their; context tells you which one fits.
If you searched for Su’ Spanish to English, you’re trying to pin down one slippery word.
You’ll see su all over Spanish: in textbooks, on signs, in stories, in chats. It looks small, but it can often point to different people. That’s why learners often translate it wrong, then feel like Spanish is playing tricks on them.
Good: “su” follows a tight set of rules. Once you know what it agrees with, and what clues to watch for, the right English translation gets easier. This article walks you through the meanings, the grammar, and the quick checks that stop mix-ups.
What “su” Means In Spanish
Su is a possessive determiner. It sits in front of a noun and shows who that noun belongs to. You’ll also see the plural form sus when the noun is plural.
Here’s the part that trips people up: su and sus match the thing owned, not the owner. So a single book is su libro, even if the owner is a group. Two books become sus libros, even if the owner is one person.
Su And Sus: Agreement Rule
- su + singular noun: su casa, su idea, su perro
- sus + plural noun: sus casas, sus ideas, sus perros
Gender doesn’t change su. You don’t say “sua.” You change the noun, not the possessive: su amigo and su amiga.
Why English Feels Messier
English bakes the owner into the word: his, her, their, your. Spanish often leaves that choice to context. So your job in translation is to spot the owner from nearby words, the story, or the speaker.
All The Common English Meanings Of “su”
Most of the time, su maps to one of these English options. The noun after it tells you only one thing: how many items are owned.
- his — owned by “he”
- her — owned by “she”
- their — owned by “they”
- your (formal) — owned by “you” in usted form
- your (plural, formal in many regions) — owned by ustedes
Some dictionaries also list its. In practice, Spanish often uses su with animals and objects too, when the context treats them as owners.
Su’ Spanish to English With Ownership Clues
If you want a fast, repeatable method, start with a simple question: “Who owns this noun right here?” Then collect clues in this order. Each step narrows the translation.
Step 0: Lock In The Noun First
Start with the noun: one or many. That decides su vs sus. Then pick the owner in English.
Step 1: Find The Nearest Owner Word
Look around the sentence for a clear subject or name. If the sentence already tells you who is acting, that same person often owns the thing marked by su.
- Names: Ana, Carlos, Lucía
- Pronouns: él, ella, ellos, ellas
- People words: mi hermano, la profesora, el jefe
Step 2: Check For Usted Or Ustedes
Spanish can treat “you” as formal. If the verb form matches usted or ustedes, su can mean “your.” In many Latin American settings, ustedes is the usual plural “you,” so su can be “your” even in casual talk.
Step 3: Watch For Pronoun Clarifiers
When Spanish needs to remove doubt, it often adds a clarifier with de: de él, de ella, de ellos, de ellas, or de usted. These phrases act like a label on the owner.
Step 4: Use The Story Logic
Sometimes the sentence has two possible owners. Then you lean on the scene. Who has the phone? Who is talking? Who is the topic of the paragraph? In longer texts, that’s often enough to pick “his” vs “her” vs “their.”
When Spanish Spells Out The Owner
Spanish speakers often fix confusion by swapping su for a phrase with de. You’ll hear this a lot in conversation:
- la casa de él — the house of him (his house)
- la casa de ella — the house of her (her house)
- la casa de ellos — the house of them (their house)
- la casa de usted — the house of you (your house, formal)
In English, treat these phrases as a label for the owner, then translate with the usual possessive.
| Spanish Pattern | Likely English | Clue That Decides It |
|---|---|---|
| Él perdió su billetera. | his wallet | Subject pronoun él sets the owner. |
| Ella perdió su billetera. | her wallet | Subject pronoun ella sets the owner. |
| María llama a su mamá. | her mom | Name + verb points to María as owner. |
| Juan llama a su mamá. | his mom | Name + verb points to Juan as owner. |
| Los niños buscan su pelota. | their ball | Plural subject suggests group owner. |
| Señor, aquí está su cambio. | your change | Polite wording cues usted. |
| Chicos, traigan sus cuadernos. | your notebooks | Command to a group cues plural “you.” |
| El perro mueve su cola. | its tail | Animal is the owner in context. |
| La empresa cambió su nombre. | its name | Organization owns the noun. |
| Tu hermana y Ana traen su comida. | their food | Two people together act as owner. |
Places Where Learners Get Stuck
Most errors come from mixing up “owner” with “thing owned.” Spanish keeps those separate, so you can’t decide “his” vs “her” by looking at the noun’s gender.
Mix-up 1: Thinking “su” Means Only “his”
Many beginner materials translate su as “his,” then the habit sticks. In real Spanish, “his” is only one option. When the owner isn’t clear, Spanish may add de él to lock it in.
Mix-up 2: Confusing Su With Tú
Su can mean “your,” but only in formal usted speech or in ustedes plural “you.” Informal “your” is tu and tus. In writing, tú with an accent is “you” as a subject, while tu without an accent is “your.”
Mix-up 3: Missing Capital “Su” In Formal Writing
You may see Su capitalized in letters and legal text as a respect marker, tied to usted. It still works like “your.” The capitalization is style, not a new grammar rule.
Su Vs Suyo: Don’t Mix The Forms
Su comes right before a noun. Suyo and its forms (suya, suyos, suyas) can stand in for the whole noun phrase. You’ll see them after a verb or with an article.
- Ese cuaderno es suyo. — That notebook is his/hers/yours/theirs.
- Yo tengo mi libro y tú tienes el tuyo. — I have my book and you have yours.
- Un amigo suyo llamó. — A friend of his/hers/yours/theirs called.
The same owner puzzle can still exist, since suyo also points to multiple people. The difference is position: su attaches to a noun, while suyo can replace it.
Regional Note On “Vosotros” And “Ustedes”
Spain often uses vosotros for informal plural “you,” with vuestro forms. Many Latin American regions use ustedes, so su can mean “your” in casual plural talk.
In English, both often become “your,” so watch the Spanish form when you’re reading.
How To Make Your Translation Sound Natural
Once you’ve picked the owner, you still have one choice: do you keep the English possessive, or do you rephrase? English likes clear owners. Spanish likes shorter possessives. In many cases, a clean English translation keeps the possessive and moves on.
Use Names When English Needs Them
If a paragraph has two women, “her” can get muddy. Use a name where English needs it, then return to pronouns once it’s clear.
Don’t Force “Its” When It Sounds Odd
English uses “its” for objects and animals, but many sentences read smoother with a rewrite: “The company changed its name” works, yet “The company rebranded” may fit better if the noun repeats too often.
| Clue You Spot | What You Do Next | English Output Tends To Be |
|---|---|---|
| A named subject | Assign ownership to that person | his/her + noun |
| Plural subject (ellos/ellas) | Use group ownership | their + noun |
| Usted verb form | Translate as formal “you” | your + noun |
| Ustedes in the sentence | Translate as plural “you” | your + plural noun |
| de él / de ella | Lock the owner to that phrase | his/her + noun |
| Two possible owners nearby | Swap in a name in English | Name’s + noun |
| Animal or object as subject | Pick “its” or rephrase | its + noun / rewrite |
| Formal letter with “Su” | Read it as respect style | your + noun |
Practice Sentences You Can Check Yourself
Try translating these without rushing.
One trick: say the owner word first (“his,” “your,” “their”), then read the noun phrase.
Try translating these without rushing. Read the whole line, pick the owner, then translate the noun phrase. After that, compare with the suggested English line. If you miss one, go back and name the clue that would have saved you.
Sentence Set A
- Carlos vendió su coche. — Carlos sold his car.
- Laura vendió su coche. — Laura sold her car.
- ¿Trajo usted su pasaporte? — Did you bring your passport?
- Mis vecinos pintaron su casa. — My neighbors painted their house.
Sentence Set B
- El gato encontró su comida. — The cat found its food.
- Elena y Sofía terminaron su tarea. — Elena and Sofía finished their homework.
- Señora, su mesa está lista. — Ma’am, your table is ready.
- La escuela cambió su horario. — The school changed its schedule.
Related References For Deeper Study
If you want to double-check definitions or see more examples, these references are solid starting points:
- RAE: Los posesivos
- RAE: Glosario gramatical (posesivo)
- Cambridge: su (Spanish–English)
- StudySpanish: Possessive adjectives
Next Steps For Faster Reading And Writing
When you see su, don’t translate on autopilot. Pause for a beat, find the owner, then pick the English word that fits. After a week of doing that on purpose, your brain starts doing it on its own.
If you want practice, pick a short Spanish story or news paragraph, circle each su or sus, and write the owner in the margin: “Ana,” “they,” “usted,” or “the company.” Then translate. That habit turns a confusing word into an easy one.