The Possessive Reflexive Pronoun “свой” (one’s own) can confuse beginners because it’s a mix of two things: owning something and talking about yourself. The confusion is obvious – there is NO such thing in English.
Yes, there are possessive pronouns and reflexive pronouns in English, but never the one that represents a combination of both.
The Possessive Reflexive Pronouns appear in many other languages but not English. So let’s find out what that scary thing is and how to understand its nature once and for all.
Don’t worry! By the end of this post, you’ll understand it perfectly.
possessive reflexive pronoun свой: Function
Let’s begin with the first question: What do we use it for?
The Possessive Reflexive Pronoun “Свой” replaces a possessive pronoun when it refers to the subject of the clause (Subject + Predicate (a verb)).
That is why we have this “reflexive” part in its name. It reflects back to the subject.
possessive reflexive pronoun свой:
possessive reflexive pronoun свой:
The Possessive Reflexive Pronoun “свой” has 4 forms in the Nominative case:
свой (masculine)
своя (feminine)
своё (neuter) *Note: The letter “ё” in Russian is always stressed.
свои (plural)
However, since Russian has 6 cases, this means there are a total of 24 forms of “свой” (Yes, it is crazy!).
You could try memorizing each form for every case, OR you could use a simple hack:
change "свой" as "мой" (my)
мой – свой
моя – своя
моё – своё
мои – свои
моему – своему (Dative)
моего – своего (Acc.animate/Genitive)
моей – своей (Prepositional/Instrumental/Genitive/Dative)
моих – своих (Acc.animate/Genitive)
Are you struggling with Russian Cases? I got you!
Check my Video Course “Hack Russian Cases” where I cover everything you need to feel confident and at ease!
possessive reflexive pronoun свой:
How to use
possessive reflexive pronoun свой:
How to use
possessive reflexive pronoun свой:
How to use
possessive reflexive pronoun свой:
How to use
Now that we know why we use it and what forms it has, it’s finally time to learn how to use it correctly!
As you can see in the picture, for я / *ты / мы / вы (1st person singular and plural, 2nd person singular and plural), you can use either possessive pronouns (my, your, our, your pl) or “свой”.
In other words, there is no difference which pronoun you use!
Officially, “ты” can be used with either “твой” or “свой”; however, as a native speaker, I must say that we more frequently use “свой” with it.
It simply sounds better to a native speaker’s ear.
In the picture, I underlined the option that native speakers would use.
Don’t forget that we change it as “мой” !
“ваше” but “своё” for a neuter noun
For он / она / они (3rd person singular and plural), we should exclusively use “свой” to demonstrate its connection with the subject.
While using a possessive pronoun like “his/her/their” is grammatically correct, it conveys a distinctly different message.
Let’s take a look at the picture!
He is kissing his wife
VS
He is kissing his wife
In English we don’t see any difference between these two sentences (we can only guess or have more context), yet in Russian we are very precise about whose wife he is kissing:
Он целует свою жену (reflexive possessive pronoun – he is kissing his own wife)
VS
Он целует его жену (possessive pronoun – he is kissing someone else’s wife)
Important note
The Possessive Reflexive Pronoun “свой” is NEVER a subject!
Ты знаешь, где живёт твой брат? (correct)
Ты знаешь, где живёт свой брат? (incorrect)
WHY?
Твой брат is the subject.
1 clause: Ты (Subject) знаешь (Verb)
2 clause: Твой брат (Subject) живёт (Verb)
let's practice
His sister is a student
Его сестра студентка
I’m living with my female friend
Я живу со своей подругой = Я живу с моей подругой (use either)
Do you know where your phone is?
Ты знаешь, где твой телефон? (твой телефон – subject)
He watched a movie with his girlfriend (his own girlfriend)
Он посмотрел фильм со своей девушкой
What are you doing with your dog?
Что ты делаешь со своей собакой? (native speakers would use “свой” with “ты” – it sounds better)
They went on vacation with their parents (their own)
Они поехали в отпуск со своими родителями
Now, it’s your turn!
I’ve lost my pen!
_____________________
Have you seen my wallet (кошелёк)?
_____________________________
He is having a party with his friends (his brother’s friends)
____________________________________________
She doesn’t know her weight (вес) (her own weight)
_______________________________________
Write your answers and questions (if you have some) in the comments!
Bonus: свой or собственный?
Sometimes students confuse “Свой” and “Собственный” because they both mean “one’s own.” So, what’s the difference?
”Cобственный” is an adjective derived from the noun “Собственность” (f) (property), while “Свой” is a possessive reflexive pronoun.
“Cобственный” is often used with people for emphasis or exaggeration:
Mоя собственная сестра врёт мне! – My own sister lies to me!
Мой собственный муж не доверяет мне! – My own husband doesn’t trust me!
conclusion
In this post, I’ve covered the possessive reflexive pronoun “свой” and everything you need to know to use it correctly.
It’s not as scary when approached with a structured understanding.
Keep practicing, creating your own examples, and cultivating confidence. I am sure, soon enough, you’ll feel comfortable using it effortlessly.
Удачи!
Ана
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