cuyo (spanish) - meaning, definition, translation, pronunciation

Part of Speech

"Cuyo" is a possessive pronoun.

Phonetic Transcription

/k u ʝ o/

Translation Options into English

• Whose
• Of which
• Whom (in certain contexts)

Meaning and Usage

"Cuyo" functions to introduce a relative clause and expresses possession, specifically describing something that belongs to the noun in the main clause. It is most commonly used in written Spanish, particularly in formal contexts or literary works. It is somewhat less frequent in everyday colloquial conversation.

Example sentences: - El hombre, cuyo libro es muy famoso, dará una conferencia el viernes.
(The man, whose book is very famous, will give a lecture on Friday.)

• La casa, cuya ventana fue rota, está en venta.
  (The house, whose window was broken, is for sale.)

Idiomatic Expressions

"Cuyo" is not widely used in idiomatic expressions per se, but it frequently appears in more complex sentence structures that might resemble idiomatic constructs.

Example sentences: - La niña, cuyo perro se escapó, estaba muy preocupada.
(The girl, whose dog ran away, was very worried.)

• El proyecto, cuyo éxito depende del esfuerzo de todos, comenzará el lunes.
  (The project, whose success depends on everyone's effort, will start on Monday.)

Etymology

"Cuyo" comes from the Old Spanish phrase "cujo," which is related to the Latin word "cujus," the genitive form of "qui" meaning "who." Its evolution reflects the development of possessive structures in Spanish.

Synonyms and Antonyms

• Synonyms:
• Del cual (of which)

• De quien (of whom)

• Antonyms:

• (There are no direct antonyms for "cuyo" as it holds a specific grammatical function rather than a conceptual one.)

Conclusion

"Cuyo" is a significant possessive pronoun that facilitates meaning regarding ownership in Spanish, prominently functioning in both formal and literary contexts. Its role in relative clauses helps to convey rich information about relationships between subjects and objects in sentences.