... Words that Show Possession ...
by Christopher Howard M.A.
Author of The New Golden Door Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica

A posessive adjective is a word which shows possession or who owns
something. Sometimes it agrees in gender (masculine and feminine) and
always in number with the noun and not the possessor.

In Spanish, the three forms of possessive adjectives are: mi - mi
amigo (my friend0; tu - tu amigo (your friend); su - su amigo (their, your,
his, or her friend; nuestro - nuestro amigo (our friend).

Unlike English, just add "s" to both words (the possessive adjective and the noun that follows) when talking about more than one. For example, mis amigos - my friends; tus amigos - your friends (familiar form); sus amigos - their, your, his or her friends; nuestros (as) amigos (as) - our friends.

Again, notice that these plural forms are different than English in that if the noun is plural, the possessor has to be plural. This concept seems to be very confusing for many language students because it does not exist in English.

There is another form of possessive adjectives in Spanish which i wil,discuss in a future column.

Here is your Costa Rican expression of tiquismo for this week which requires a somewhat lengthy explanation: ¡Regálame!. You will hear the locals use this word many times while shopping in Costa rica. Don't get confused because this term usually means to give a gift with no intention of monetary compensation. The nearest English translation is "I'll take it" or "Give me X product" with an exchange of money for an article shortly after.

Christopher Howard M.A. is the author of "The New Golden Door Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica," He is also a paid consultant for National Geographic in Costa Rica. For more information call 800-365-2342, access: www.costaricabooks.com or www.publishingonline.com to directly download his books from the Internet. Mr. Howard also conducts monthly one-of-a-kind exploratory trips for those wanting to live in Costa Rica Please call toll-free 800-493-8426, e-mail: crbooks@racsa.co.cr or tico@gate.net. Contact them to see how your can win a FREE round-trip ticket to Costa Rica on one of their tours. Mr. Howard also works as a paid consultant for newcomers and those thinking of investing or going into business. For a listing of his services see: www. liveincostarica.com. Anyone needing assistance may contact him directly at: crbooks@racsa.co.cr.