When to use Su & Tu

Question

1) De qué color es tu traje?

2) De qué color es su suéter?

Is 'su' used when describing someone's belongings from afar, while 'tu' is used when engaged in a personal conversation? (or does it depend on the gender of the person asking?)

Thanks

Answer 1

I use the possessive adjective 'tu' when am talking to someone whom I would refer to using the informal second person 'tú'

If the person I am talking to would normally be addressed formally with 'usted' I would use the possessive pronoun 'su'. Su would also apply to a third person.

For example

"Buenas días, señor. Me gusta su coche." "Hola Juan. Me gusta tu coche" "Mi padre tiene mucho dinero. Me gusta su casa"

Answer 2

You use tu when you talk about something that belongs to the person you are talking to:

¿De qué color es tu traje? --> What is the colour of your suit?

You use su when you talk about something that belongs neither to you nor to the person you are talking to, but to someone else:

¿De qué color es su traje? --> What is the colour of his / her suit?

Also, su can replace tu when you want to talk to someone in a more polite way:

¿De qué color es su traje, Sr. González?

¿De qué color es su traje? can also mean "What color is their suit?" Su is the 3rd person possessive adjective, both singular and plural. - Goyo, Jul 25, 2010

Yes, you are right, also 3rd plural. Thanks for adding that. - maria_k, Jul 25, 2010

Should it be "...son sus trajes..." though I realize "their suit" is often heard in colloquial English to refer to another single person without implying gender.; - revmaf, Jul 25, 2010

Answer 3

De qué color es SU traje? = What color is your (usted) / his / her / its suit?

De qué color es TU traje? = What color is your (familiar) suit?

¿De qué... - 0074b507, Jul 25, 2010

so you say that 'su' can be used when asking a direct question? - sensu123, Jul 25, 2010

and, 'su' is for formal discussion, 'tu' is for informal (if engaged in a direct discussion about the other interlocutor) - sensu123, Jul 25, 2010