Poseer Examples, Sentences and Quiz in Spanish

Introduction

poseer means "to possess, to own" in English, and it is a verb you will use constantly once you start speaking Spanish for real. This page shows poseer in everyday sentences, grouped by meaning, then puts it into two short conversations, lists the mistakes learners actually make, and finishes with a ten-question quiz and answers to the most common questions. Every sentence below uses a real form of poseer, so you can copy the patterns and change the person, the tense and the complement to make your own versions. Start with the examples, say them aloud, and then try the quiz without looking back.

Example sentences with poseer

To possess

Poseer means to possess. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Yo poseo una casa — "I possess a house"
  2. Él posee mucho dinero — "He possesses a lot of money"
  3. Yo poseí un coche nuevo — "I possessed a new car"
  4. Yo poseía una casa — "I used to possess a house"
  5. Yo poseeré mucho dinero — "I will possess a lot of money"
  6. Yo he poseído un coche nuevo — "I have possessed a new car"

To own

Poseer means to own. The sentences below all use it in that sense.

  1. Él poseyó un coche nuevo — "He possessed a new car"
  2. Él poseía una casa — "He used to possess a house"
  3. Tú poseerás mucho dinero — "You will possess a lot of money"
  4. Yo poseería un coche nuevo — "I would possess a new car"
  5. Yo había poseído una casa — "I had possessed a house"
  6. Nosotros poseemos mucho dinero — "We possess a lot of money"

Poseer in conversation

The two dialogues below show poseer in natural conversation. Read both parts aloud, then try to continue each dialogue with a sentence of your own.

Dialogue 1

  • ¿Tú posees una casa? — "Do you possess a house?"
  • Sí, yo poseo una casa cada día. — "Yes, I possess a house every day."
  • ¿Y ayer? ¿Tú poseíste mucho dinero? — "And yesterday? Did you possess a lot of money?"
  • Sí, yo poseí mucho dinero. — "Yes, I possessed a lot of money."
  • Mañana, yo poseeré un coche nuevo también. — "Tomorrow, I will possess a new car too."

Dialogue 2

  • ¿Vosotros poseéis una casa? — "Do you possess a house?"
  • Sí, nosotros poseemos una casa los fines de semana. — "Yes, We possess a house at the weekends."
  • ¿Y ellos? ¿Ellos poseen mucho dinero? — "And them? Do they possess a lot of money?"
  • Sí, ellos poseen mucho dinero también. — "Yes, They possess a lot of money too."
  • Mañana nosotros poseeremos mucho dinero otra vez. — "Tomorrow we will possess a lot of money again."

Useful phrases with poseer

Four patterns you can use with poseer in any conversation. The infinitive stays the same; only the first verb changes.

  • Voy a poseer una casa. — "I am going to possess a house."
  • Quiero poseer mucho dinero. — "I want to possess a lot of money."
  • Me gusta poseer un coche nuevo. — "I like to possess a new car."
  • Acabo de poseer una casa. — "I have just possessed a house."

Common mistakes with poseer in everyday use

Mistake 1

  • Wrong: Ellos posee una casa.
  • Right: Ellos poseen una casa.
  • Why: Ellos needs the ellos form poseen. The singular posee belongs with él, ella or a singular noun.

Mistake 2

  • Wrong: Todos los días, yo poseí.
  • Right: Todos los días, yo poseo.
  • Why: Todos los días means every day, so the action is a habit and needs the present tense. The preterite is for one finished action, not for routines.

Mistake 3

  • Wrong: Yo soy poseído mucho dinero.
  • Right: Yo he poseído mucho dinero.
  • Why: Spanish perfect tenses use haber, not ser: he poseído, has poseído, ha poseído.

Mistake 4

  • Wrong: Ayer, yo poseo.
  • Right: Ayer, yo poseí.
  • Why: Ayer means yesterday, so the action is finished and needs the preterite (poseí). The present (poseo) is for habits and for now.

Mistake 5

  • Wrong: Espero que él posee una casa.
  • Right: Espero que él posea una casa.
  • Why: After espero que, Spanish needs the present subjunctive: posea. The indicative form would be wrong here.

Quiz: poseer in use

Ten questions on poseer across the tenses. The answers are explained, so read them even when you get a question right.

1. What is the I form of poseer in the present tense?

  • (a) poseería
  • (b) poseo
  • (c) poseeré
  • (d) poseáis

Answer: (b) poseo. The I form in the present is poseo.

2. What is the he / she form of poseer in the present tense?

  • (a) posee
  • (b) habríamos poseído
  • (c) habrá poseído
  • (d) poseía

Answer: (a) posee. The he / she form in the present is posee.

3. What is the he / she form of poseer in the preterite tense?

  • (a) posees
  • (b) poseyó
  • (c) habríais poseído
  • (d) poseéis

Answer: (b) poseyó. The he / she form in the preterite is poseyó.

4. What is the I form of poseer in the imperfect tense?

  • (a) poseía
  • (b) habíamos poseído
  • (c) posee
  • (d) poseerían

Answer: (a) poseía. The I form in the imperfect is poseía.

5. What is the I form of poseer in the future tense?

  • (a) habrá poseído
  • (b) poseeré
  • (c) poseáis
  • (d) poseería

Answer: (b) poseeré. The I form in the future is poseeré.

6. What is the I form of poseer in the present perfect tense?

  • (a) poseamos
  • (b) poseyeran
  • (c) poseerías
  • (d) he poseído

Answer: (d) he poseído. The I form in the present perfect is he poseído.

7. Complete the sentence: Espero que él ___ una casa.

  • (a) poseamos
  • (b) posea
  • (c) posean
  • (d) poseas

Answer: (b) posea. The he / she form in the present subjunctive is posea.

8. What is the we form of poseer in the present tense?

  • (a) poseemos
  • (b) poseerán
  • (c) poseamos
  • (d) has poseído

Answer: (a) poseemos. The we form in the present is poseemos.

9. What is the I form of poseer in the preterite tense?

  • (a) poseí
  • (b) poseáis
  • (c) has poseído
  • (d) poseyera

Answer: (a) poseí. The I form in the preterite is poseí.

10. What is the they form of poseer in the present tense?

  • (a) poseeremos
  • (b) han poseído
  • (c) habías poseído
  • (d) poseen

Answer: (d) poseen. The they form in the present is poseen.

Frequently asked questions about poseer

Is poseer regular?

Poseer is a vowel-stem -er verb: poseo, posees, posee. See the full conjugation of poseer for every tense.

What is the past participle of poseer?

The past participle is poseído, used with haber in the perfect tenses: he poseído. The gerund is poseyendo, used with estar: estoy poseyendo.

How do I say “I possess” in the past?

For one finished action, use the preterite: Yo poseí mucho dinero. For a habit in the past, use the imperfect: Yo poseía un coche nuevo.

How can I practise poseer?

Start with the examples above: say each sentence aloud, then change the person and the complement. Then take the quiz, and finish with the Verb Quiz and the Conjugation Practice tools, which test the same forms in a different order. A few minutes a day with one verb is worth more than an hour once a week.

Related pages