How to Say ‘Your (formal)’ in Portuguese
O seu / a sua
oo say-oo ah SOO-ah
[oo say-oo ah SOO-ah]
💬 Usage Tip: Whether you use seu or sua depends on the item, not the person you're talking to. So it's a sua mala for a man too.
🇵🇹 In Portugal: With strangers in Portugal, o seu / a sua is the safe choice. teu "your", the casual form, sounds overfamiliar from someone they've never met.
Phrase Breakdown
O seu /
oo say-oo
your (masculine, formal)
Use with masculine nouns when you address someone formally. 'O' sounds like a short 'oo', and 'seu' sounds like 'say-oo'.
O seu carro é novo.
Your car is new.
Words in this phrase
O
[oo]
the (masculine singular)
Article used before a masculine singular noun; often unstressed in speech.
O bilhete é mais barato se comprares com antecedência.
The ticket is cheaper if you buy in advance.
seu
[say-oo]
your
A possessive adjective referring to the other person's time or attention.
A palavra «seu» mostra que o tempo pertence ao destinatário.
The word “your” shows that the time belongs to the recipient.
a sua
ah SOO-ah
your (feminine, formal)
Use with feminine nouns. The final 'a' is weak, like the 'u' in 'up': 'uh SOO-uh'.
A sua casa é bonita.
Your house is pretty.
Words in this phrase
a
[ah]
the (feminine singular)
Same article "a" used before a feminine noun; often unstressed in speech.
A estação é ali à direita.
The station is right there on the right.
sua
[SOO-ah]
Your
Possessive adjective used to indicate something that belongs to or is associated with the person previously mentioned.
Sua preferência é importante na escolha do filme.
Your preference is important in choosing the movie.
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