B2 Spanish grammar

Cuyo in Spanish: Express Possession in Relative Clauses

Cuyo is the relative equivalent of whose. It links an antecedent to something that belongs or relates to it, but its ending agrees with the possessed noun that follows—not with the owner.

Cuyo possession

owner + cuyo/cuya/cuyos/cuyas + possessed noun

Cuyo links an owner to a possessed noun and agrees with the possessed noun, not the owner.

Agreement of cuyo

Possessed noun	Form	Example
masculine singular: coche	cuyo	el vecino cuyo coche
feminine singular: hermana	cuya	la autora cuya hermana
masculine plural: libros	cuyos	la escritora cuyos libros
feminine plural: canciones	cuyas	la cantante cuyas canciones

Do not add el/la or su after cuyo: cuyo coche, not cuyo el coche or cuyo su coche.

cuyo in Spanish: Link the owner to the possessed noun

Place cuyo immediately after the antecedent that owns or is related to something, then place the possessed noun directly after cuyo.

Conocí a una autora cuya hermana vive en Quito.

I met an author whose sister lives in Quito.Autora is the possessor; hermana is the possessed noun introduced by cuya.

Quick check

I met the scientist whose research won the prize.

Agree with what is possessed

Choose cuyo, cuya, cuyos, or cuyas from the gender and number of the following possessed noun, regardless of the possessor's gender or number.

La cantante cuyas canciones escuchamos es chilena.

The singer whose songs we listen to is Chilean.Cuyas is feminine plural because it agrees with canciones, not with cantante.

Do not add another determiner

Cuyo already functions as the determiner of the following noun. Do not add an article, a possessive such as su, or a second relative before that noun.

Hablé con el vecino cuyo coche bloqueaba la entrada.

I spoke with the neighbour whose car was blocking the entrance.Cuyo directly determines coche; no el or su is needed.

Common mistakes

Conocí a una autora que su hermana vive en Quito.

Conocí a una autora cuya hermana vive en Quito.

Standard Spanish uses cuyo rather than combining relative que with a duplicate possessive su.

El edificio cuyo ventanas son azules

El edificio cuyas ventanas son azules

Ventanas is feminine plural, so the correct relative possessive is cuyas.

El vecino cuyo el coche bloqueaba la entrada

El vecino cuyo coche bloqueaba la entrada

An article cannot stand between cuyo and its noun.

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The relative possessive cuyo FAQ

What does the relative possessive cuyo cover?

Cuyo is the relative equivalent of whose. It links an antecedent to something that belongs or relates to it, but its ending agrees with the possessed noun that follows—not with the owner.

What is the first rule to remember?

Place cuyo immediately after the antecedent that owns or is related to something, then place the possessed noun directly after cuyo.

What is another important B2 pattern?

Choose cuyo, cuya, cuyos, or cuyas from the gender and number of the following possessed noun, regardless of the possessor's gender or number.

How can I practise cuyo in Spanish?

Complete the focused round, review each correction, and repeat the lesson when its skills become due again.

Continue learning

Prepositions with relative pronounsKeep the preposition required inside a relative clause and choose que, quien, or an article-based relative according to the antecedent, clarity, and register.El cual, el que, and quienChoose among article-based relatives and quien by antecedent, punctuation, preposition, formality, and the need to make reference unambiguous.Lo cual and whole-clause referenceUse neutral lo cual to comment on an entire preceding fact or proposition, especially in formal explanatory writing, without treating it as a noun-linked relative.Spanish relative pronounsReview the core relative forms before adding possessive cuyo.Spanish possessive adjectivesCompare ordinary possession with the relative determiner cuyo.Spanish adjective gender agreementReview agreement patterns used when choosing cuyo forms.