Note the omission of the possessive when propio follows the noun, as in Tiene coche
propio.^10 (p. 42)
40.3 Expressing possessive relations involving parts of the body
and personal effects
In sentences like ‘My feet ache’, ‘He took off his jacket’, Spanish normally uses a
definite article (el, la, los or las, ‘the’) instead of a possessive.
Me duelen los pies. My feet ache.
Se quitó la chaqueta. He took off his jacket.
Le robaron la cartera. They stole his/her wallet.4.1 (p. 19);^10 (p. 42)
40.4 Asking whose something is
To ask whose property something is, as in ‘whose is this?’, Spanish normally uses the
construction¿De quién+ser+ noun/noun phrase?
¿De quién es esto?
Whose is this?
¿De quién es esa agenda?
Whose is that diary?¿De quién son estos zapatos?
Whose shoes are these?
¿De quién será aquel coche azul?
I wonder whose that blue car is.
¿De quiénes son estos pasaportes?
Whose passports are these? 12.8 (p. 51); 28.2 (p. 146);^10 (p. 42)
Questions regarding ownership are also asked through sentences like the following,
which carry a possessive
¿Es éste su equipaje?
Is this your luggage?
¿Son éstas sus maletas?
Are these your suitcases?¿Este bolso es suyo?
Is this handbag yours?
El baúl negro es tuyo, ¿verdad?
The black trunk is yours, isn’t it?Less frequently, you will hear questions with pertenecer, ‘to belong’ (see 40.1.4 above).EXPRESSING POSSESSIVE RELATIONS 40.3