Уро́к 1
1.8 Grammar: Possessives, Part II
Люби́мая Грамма́тика
Introduction
You recently learned the various forms for мой ‘my’ and твой ‘your’.
Now it’s time to learn the rest of these so-called ‘possessive pronouns’. These are the little words that indicate possession.
Below is a table with the remaining possessive pronouns: наш ‘our’, ваш ‘your’ (pl) and его́ ‘his’ or ‘its’, её ‘her’ or ‘its’, and их ‘their’.
Russian Possessive Pronouns in the Nominative Case
READ THIS. STUDY THIS. ASK YOURSELF IF IT MAKES SENSE. READ THE NOTES AT THE BOTTOM.
| Gender / Number of thing possessed | Singular (possessor) | Plural (possessor) | |
| First person | masculine | мой компьютер
‘my computer’ |
наш компьютер
‘our computer’ |
| neuter | моё яблоко
‘my apple’ |
на́ше яблоко
‘our apple’ |
|
| feminine | моя́ книга
‘my book’ |
на́ша книга
‘our book’ |
|
| plural THING | мои́ очки
‘my glasses’ |
на́ши очки
‘our glasses’ |
|
| Second person | masculine | твой компьютер
‘your (sg) computer’ |
ваш компьютер
‘your / y’all’s (formal/pl) computer’ |
| neuter | твоё яблоко
‘your apple’ |
ва́ше яблоко
‘your / y’all’s apple’ |
|
| feminine | твоя́ книга
‘your book’ |
ва́ша книга
‘your (formal) / y’all’s book’ |
|
| plural THING | твои́ очки
‘your glasses’ |
ва́ши очки
‘your (formal) / y’all’s glasses’ |
|
| Third person | Masculine >
Neuter > Feminine > Plural > |
его́ компьютер ‘his computer’ его́ яблоко ‘his apple’его́ книга ‘his book’его́ очки ‘his glasses’ |
их компьютер ‘their computer’их яблоко ‘their apple’их книга ‘their book’их очки ‘their glasses’ |
| Masculine >
Neuter > Feminine > Plural > |
её компьютер ‘her computer’её яблоко ‘her apple’её книга ‘her book’её очки ‘her glasses’ |
Note 1: There are TWO plural categories here. There is the plural thing possessed, like ‘glasses’, and there is the plural possessor, like ‘our’ or ‘their’. These words are plural because they refer to more than one person.
You can hear all pronouns in their various forms in today’s Словарь.
Note 3: The pronouns наш and ваш have different forms (spellings), just like мой / твой, depending gender of the item in possession, whereas его́, её and их DO NOT.
Note 4: The pronoun ваш (ваша, ваше, ваши) can EITHER refer to one person, Вы, when using formal register, or to more than one person, вы, as in belonging to ‘you all’ / ‘y’all’.
For example:
- Здра́вствуйте, Бори́с Бори́сович! Э́то ва́ша кни́га?
- Hello, ! Is this your (formal because you only speak on formal terms with the president) book?
- Да, э́то моя́. Спаси́бо.
- Yes, it’s mine. Thanks.
- Приве́т, ребя́тя! Хе́зер ва́ша преподава́тельница?
- Hi, guys! Heather is your (plural – because it refers to a group of people) teacher?
- Да, она́ на́ша преподава́тельница.
- Yes, she’s our teacher.
