The Reflexive Possessive 'свой' — Russian Grammar

(SvoySvoj) means one's own. It replaces (moymoj), (tvoytvoj), (yegójegó), (yeyójejó) and the others when the owner is the subject of the same clause. English has no equivalent; it simply says his, my or their.

Forms

(SvoySvoj) declines exactly like (moymoj): (svoysvoj), (svoyásvojá), (svoyósvojó), (svoí), and in the other cases (svoyegósvojegó), (svoyéysvojéj), (svoím)...

Та же́нщина идёт со свое́й соба́кой.
Ta zhénshchina idyót so svoyéy sobákoy.Ta žénščina idjót so svojéj sobákoj.
That woman is walking with her dog.
Принеси́те свои́ су́мки.
Prinesíte svoí súmki.
Bring your bags.
Я люблю́ своего́ па́пу.
Ya lyublyú svoyegó pápu.Ja ljubljú svojegó pápu.
I love my dad.

Third Person: An Important Difference

In the third person, (svoysvoj) and (yegójegó) / (yeyójejó) mean different things.

(On chitáyet svoyú knígu.On čitájet svojú knígu.) - He is reading his (own) book.
(On chitáyet yegó knígu.On čitájet jegó knígu.) - He is reading his (another man's) book.

Тот мужчи́на бежи́т со свое́й соба́кой.
Tot muzhchína bezhít so svoyéy sobákoy.Tot mužčína bežít so svojéj sobákoj.
That man is running with his dog.

First and Second Person

With я, (ty), (my) and (vy), both (svoysvoj) and (moymoj) / (tvoytvoj) are correct, and (svoysvoj) is common in speech.

Я не могу́ найти́ свои́ очки́.
Ya ne mogú naytí svoí ochkí.Ja ne mogú najtí svoí očkí.
I can't find my glasses.
Возьми́ свой зонт.
Voz'mí svoy zont.Vozʹmí svoj zont.
Take your umbrella.

Not With the Subject Itself

(SvoySvoj) refers back to the subject, so it cannot be part of the subject. My brother is a doctor is always (Moy brat vrachMoj brat vrač).

Мой брат врач.
Moy brat vrach.Moj brat vrač.
My brother is a doctor.

Comments

Loading comments…