Spanish · B2 · Everyday language
The Connections That Identify Us in Spanish
This guide helps you identify people and belongings by their connections using the Spanish equivalent of 'whose' (cuyo/cuya). While B2 learners often use simpler phrasing, mastering relative possessives allows for more precise and natural descriptions of your child's social world.
What you'll learn
- Express possession using relative pronouns in complex sentences.
- Correctly match relative possessives with the gender and number of the object possessed.
- Describe classmates and friends by their specific achievements or attributes.
Spanish phrases for the connections that identify us
¿Es ese el chico con cuyo proyecto de ciencias ayudaste?
Is that the boy whose science project you helped with?
Note how 'cuyo' agrees with 'proyecto' (masculine singular).
Puedes invitar al amigo a cuyos padres conocí en el concierto.
You can invite the friend whose parents I met at the concert.
'Cuyos' is plural because it refers to 'padres'.
¿Son esos los compañeros cuya presentación inspiró tu idea?
Are those the classmates whose presentation inspired your idea?
'Cuya' is feminine singular because 'presentación' is feminine singular.
Preguntemos al profesor a cuyo club te quieres unir.
Let's ask the teacher whose club you want to join.
The preposition 'a' (to) is placed before 'cuyo'.
¿Es Mia la niña cuya opinión te hizo cambiar de parecer?
Is Mia the girl whose opinion changed your mind?
'Cambiar de parecer' is a natural way to say 'change your mind'.
Por favor, devuelve la cámara cuya batería cargamos ayer.
Please return the camera whose battery we charged yesterday.
'Cuya' refers to 'batería', not the camera owner.
Me gustaría agradecer al vecino cuyas herramientas tomaste prestadas.
I'd like to thank the neighbour whose tools you borrowed.
'Cuyas' matches 'herramientas' (feminine plural).
Muéstrame el juego cuyas reglas quiere cambiar tu grupo.
Show me the game whose rules your group wants to change.
'Cuya' matches 'reglas' (feminine plural).
Hear these phrases and practise them
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Try it free for 7 daysKey words
Compañero
Classmate/Peer
Can refer to a schoolmate or a teammate depending on context.
Tomar prestado
To borrow
A common phrase in Spanish to indicate borrowing an object.
Cuyo / Cuya
Whose
This is a formal relative pronoun that agrees with the noun it precedes.
Relative Possessives (Cuyo/a/os/as)
In Spanish, 'cuyo' functions as 'whose'. Unlike English, it must agree in gender and number with the noun that follows (the thing possessed), not the person who possesses it.
| Use | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine Singular | Cuyo | El autor cuyo libro leímos. |
| Feminine Singular | Cuya | La empresa cuya sede visitamos. |
| Masculine Plural | Cuyos | Los niños cuyos padres son médicos. |
| Feminine Plural | Cuyas | Las casas cuyas ventanas son rojas. |
More examples
El alumno cuya mochila olvidaste está en mi clase.
The student whose backpack you forgot is in my class.
'Cuya' matches 'mochila' (feminine).
Hablé con la madre cuyo hijo juega contigo.
I spoke with the mother whose son plays with you.
'Cuyo' matches 'hijo' (masculine).