Spanish Phrase
¿Es este tu cuaderno?
Meaning
The sentence asks whether the notebook that is being pointed at belongs to the listener. It is a direct way to confirm ownership of an object that is near both speakers.
When to use
Use this question when you see a notebook (or any similar item) and want to verify if it is the other person's. It works in classrooms, libraries, or any informal setting where you need to check whose thing it is.
✦Grammar Breakdown
¿Esestetucuaderno?
Ser (es)
Use the verb 'ser' to identify or define something. Here 'es' links the subject 'este' with the predicate 'tu cuaderno'.
Demonstrative adjective (este)
‘Este’ points to something close to the speaker and must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies.
Possessive adjective (tu)
‘Tu’ indicates ownership and does not change with gender or number; it precedes the noun.
Noun (cuaderno)
‘Cuaderno’ means ‘notebook’; it is masculine singular, so the demonstrative ‘este’ is also masculine singular.
🗨In Conversation
¿Es este tu cuaderno?
Is this your notebook?
Sí, es mío. Gracias por preguntar.
Yes, it’s mine. Thanks for asking.
✕Common Mistakes
¿Está este tu cuaderno?
Use ‘ser’ (es) for identity/ownership, not ‘estar’ (está).
¿Es este tus cuaderno?
‘Tus’ is the plural possessive; the noun is singular, so use ‘tu’.
¿Este cuaderno tu es?
Word order matters; the correct order is ‘este cuaderno es tuyo’ or ‘¿Es este tu cuaderno?’.
↔Alternatives
¿Este cuaderno es tuyo?
Is this notebook yours?
¿Este es tu cuaderno?
Is this your notebook?
¿Este es tu cuaderno, verdad?
This is your notebook, right?
Cultural Tip
In Spanish, the verb ‘ser’ is used for identity, while ‘estar’ describes temporary states. Saying ‘¿Está este tu cuaderno?’ would be incorrect because ownership is a permanent characteristic. Also, note that in formal contexts you would replace ‘tu’ with ‘su’ (¿Es este su cuaderno?).