Уро́к 10
10.4 Grammar: Possessive Pronouns, Prepositional Case
Люби́мая Грамма́тика
Possessive Pronouns in the Prepositional Case
This is GRAMMAR. Let me be up front here. This is just serious grammar stuff. Bear with it. It’s SO important in Russian. Read through it and do the practice sets that follow. This is part of what makes learning Russian so notoriously challenging – more endings. They just keep coming! And this is the stuff you just have to LEARN.
First, recall the possessive pronouns you learned in Unit 1. These are the words that mean ‘my’ and ‘your’. You learned that the endings of these words change, depending on the gender and number of the noun they describe. For example:
- If a computer belongs to me, I say мой компью́тер.
- If a pen belongs to me, I say моя́ ру́чка.
- If I want to indicate my beer, I say моё пи́во.
- And I want to make sure no one else touches my chips, I say мои́ чи́псы.
The same endings are seen with the word for ‘your’ (sg/informal): твой, твоя́, твоё, твои́
- твой компью́тер
- твоя́ ру́чка
- твоё пи́во
- твои́ чи́псы
The words meaning ‘our’ and ‘your’ (plural/formal) likewise indicate gender and number of the item being possessed.
- our / your computer = наш / ваш компью́тер
- our / your car = на́ша / ва́ша маши́на
- our / your window = на́ше / ва́ше окно
- our / your children = на́ши / ва́ши де́ти
The third person possessive pronouns, meaning ‘his’, ‘her’, and ‘their’, mercifully, DO NOT change forms, regardless of gender or number. They are always его́ / её / их:
- его́ / её / их компью́тер
- его́ / её / их маши́на
- его́ / её / их ме́сто
- его́ / её / их де́ньги
What happens to all of these words when we want to use them in various case forms? What I mean is, what if the word you’re describing is declined for the Prepositional case, for example?
Let’s say I want to indicate that the pen is not just on any table but on MY table, or that the cat is not on any old car, but on OUR car, or the girl isn’t just in any place, but in HIS place. It turns out that possessive pronouns, like adjectives, decline for case. That is, we use certain endings for these words that indicate not only gender and number, but also case.
Consider the following:
Э́то твоя́ ру́чка. Э́то мой стол.
This is your pen. This is my table.
Твоя́ ру́чка на моём столе́.
Your pen is on my table.
Э́то твоя́ ко́шка. Э́то на́ша маши́на.
This is your cat. This is our car.
Твоя́ ко́шка на на́шей маши́не.
Your cat is on our car.
Э́то де́вушка. Э́то его́ ме́сто.
This is a girl. This is his place.
Де́вушка на его́ ме́сте.
The girl is in his place.
From these examples, it is not possible to deduce the full declensional paradigm for possessive pronouns in the Prepositional case. The DECLENSION TABLE is provided below. You will need to study this table and refer to it many times.
| Object gender / number |
Nominative |
Prepositional | ||||
| 1st prs my |
2nd prs your |
3rd prs his/her/its |
1st prs my |
2nd prs your |
3rd prs his/her/its |
|
|
Singular possessor |
||||||
| Masculine | мой | твой | его́ / её | моём | твоём | его́ / её |
| Neuter | моё | твоё | его́ / её | моём | твоём | его́ / её |
| Feminine | моя́ | твоя́ | его́ / её | мое́й | твое́й | его́ / её |
| Plural | мои́ | твои́ | его́ / её | мои́х | твои́х | его́ / её |
| Object gender / number | Nominative | Prepositional | ||||
| 1st prs our |
2nd prs your |
3rd prs their |
1st prs our |
2nd prs your |
3rd prs their |
|
|
Plural possessor |
||||||
| Masculine | наш | ваш | их | на́шем | ва́шем | их |
| Neuter | на́ше | ва́ше | их | на́шем | ва́шем | их |
| Feminine | на́ша | ва́ша | их | на́шей | ва́шей | их |
| Plural | на́ши | ва́ши | их | на́ших | ва́ших | их |
The two cases are lined up side by side for ease of reference and comparison. Notice that in the Prepositional Case, the masculine and neuter forms are the same. Also notice that, like in the Nominative Case, the 3rd person possessive pronouns still do not change according to the possessed object’s gender, number, or case.
A side note on all those endings as we go forward:
Ultimately, you will memorize all forms and then begin to internalize them so that when you speak, you will be able to recall all forms with ease. Accuracy is important during speech, so you will be tested on these forms, BUT as you are acquiring speaking fluency, you should not focus on ending accuracy to the extent that you are unable to communicate. If this sounds like a contradictory and impossible yoga pose, it is meant to. You will have to find a balance throughout your tenure of Russian language study of mastering endings, because they are important, and communicating without constant distraction of endings, because it is also important to get your message across – correct endings or not.
In other words, treat learning Russian like learning any new skill! You will have to both practice (drill) and play (speak).
