When the owner is a masculine noun preceded by the article "el," a contraction occurs: Example: Es el libro del chico. (It is the boy’s book.)
Remember that Spanish does not use apostrophes for possession. You can never say "Maria's libro." It must always be "El libro de Maria."
Spanish requires the question to match the number of objects being discussed: ¿De quién es ...? (Whose is [this one thing]?) p2-19 estructura 1 -de quien es -practice it -
To master this structure, try converting these English ownership statements into the correct Spanish "Estructura 1" format.
In English, we often use the word "whose" at the beginning of a sentence. In Spanish, we use a prepositional phrase: . De: Means "of" or "from." Quién: Means "who." Translation: Literally "Of whom is...?" Singular vs. Plural When the owner is a masculine noun preceded
Always include the accent mark on quién when asking a question. Without it ( quien ), the word functions as a relative pronoun ("the person who...").
Note: There is no contraction for "de la," "de los," or "de las." Common Sentence Patterns Maria. (It is Maria's.) Son de los estudiantes. (They belong to the students.) Es del profesor. (It is the professor's.) 🛠 Practice It: Exercise P2-19 (Whose is [this one thing]
Identify the object and the owner, then use the correct form of the verb ser . Whose is the backpack? (It belongs to the girl.) Question: ¿De quién es la mochila? Answer: Es de la chica. Whose are the maps? (They belong to the tourists.) Question: ¿De quién son los mapas? Answer: Son de los turistas. Whose is the computer? (It belongs to the driver - male.) Question: ¿De quién es la computadora? Answer: Es del conductor. Whose are the notebooks? (They belong to Sara.) Question: ¿De quién son los cuadernos? Answer: Son de Sara. 💡 Key Tips for Success