The Pronoun  свой

The pronoun свой (one's, one's own) shows that the object it qualifies belongs to the performer of action (which is the subject of the clause or sentence).

The pronoun свой changes according to gender, number and case in the same manner as the pronouns мой and твой.

 

Nominative Case

As a rule, the pronoun свой denoting possession is not in the nominative свой is occasionally used in the nominative but with a different meaning.

 

Это свой человек.

Не is a friend.

 

In the above sentence свой means a friend

 

Masculine свой

Винот и свой папа идут в кино.

Vinod and his (own) daddy are going to a movie.

 

Feminine своя

Винот и своя мама идут в кино.

Vinod and his (own) mom are going to a movie.

 

Neuter  своё                    

Винот и своё радио там.

Vinod and his (own) radio are there.

 

Plural  свои

Винот и свои родители идут в кино.

Vinod and his (own) parents are going to a movie.

 

Prepositional Case

Possessive Pronouns   свой, своя, своё and свои.                 

Possessive Pronouns  свой/своё.

Pronoun свой/своё qualifying singular masculine/neuter noun declines as follows:

 

свой/своё – своём

свой/своё – в/на/о своём ...

one’s own – in/on/at/about one’s own …

 

Это Винот.

This is Vinod

 

Рядом свой стол.

His table is nearby.

 

Винот положил книги на своём столе.

Vinod put books on his table.

 

Possessive Pronoun   своя.

Pronoun своя qualifying singular feminine noun declines as follows:

 

своя – своей

своя         – в/на/о своей ...

one’s own – in/on/at/about one’s own …

 

Это Нина.

This is Nina.

 

Там же её комната.

Her room is nearby.

 

Нина сидит в своей комнате.

Nina is sitting in her room.

   

Possessive Pronoun  свои.

Pronoun свои qualifying plural nouns of all the genders declines as follows: (свои - своих)

свои          – в/на/о своих ...

one’s own  – in/on/at/about one’s own …

  

Это  студенты. 

These are students.

 

Это их тетради.

These are their note-book.

 

Студенты пишут в своих тетрадях

Students write in their note-books.

 

Accusative Case

Possessive Pronoun: свой, своя, своё, свои. (one’s own)

Possessive Pronoun: свой  Inanimate

Pronoun свой and своe qualifying inanimate singular noun of masculine and neuter gender does NOT decline.

 

свой – свой

своё – своё

 

Джон несет свой компьютер в класс.

John carries his computer to the class.

 

Джон любит своe общежитие.

John likes his hostel.

 

Possessive Pronoun: свой  Animate

Pronoun свой qualifying animate masculine noun declines as follows:

 

свой – своего

 

Джон встретил своего друга в клубе.

John met his friend in the club.

 

Possessive Pronoun: своя Inanimate and Animate

Pronoun своя qualifying inanimate and animate feminine noun declines as follows:

 

своя – свою

 

Арун переводит свою статью.

Arun is translating his article.

 

Арун ждёт свою сестру.

Arun is waiting for his sister.

 

Pronoun все qualifying animate masculine noun declines as follows:

Possessive Pronoun: свои Inanimate

Pronoun свои qualifying inanimate plural noun of all the genders does NOT decline.

 

свои - свои

Джон несет свои учебники и тетради в класс.

John carries his textbooks and notebooks to the class.

 

Джон сохранет свои письма.

John preserves his letters.

 

Арун переводит свои статьи.

Arun is translating his articles.

 

Possessive Pronoun: свои Animate

Pronoun свои qualifying animate nouns of Masculine and Feminine genders decline as follows:

 

свой – своих

Джон встретил своих друзьей и подруг в клубе.

John met his friends and girl-friends in the club.

 

Genitive Case

Possessive Pronoun свой

Declension свой (one’s own)

Possessive Pronouns: свой/свое.

Possessive Pronoun свой/свое declines as follows:

 

свой/свое  – своего

Винот водит машину своего отца.

Vinod drives the car of his daddy.

 

Мохан чистит стекло своего окна.

Mohan cleans the glass of his window.

 

Possessive Pronoun: своя

Possessive Pronoun своя declines as follows:

 

своя – своей  

Максим показывает фотографию своей сестры.

Maxim shows the picture of his sister.

           

Possessive Pronoun: свои

Possessive Pronoun свои declines as follows:

 

свои – своих

Студенты смотрят расписание своих экзаменов.

The students are looking at the timetable of their exams

 

Dative Case

Pronouns свой, свое, своя, свои.

Pronouns свой/свое.

свой/свое  – своему

one’s own

 

Джон вчера послал письмо своему отцу.

John yesterday sent a letter to his father.

 

Максим встетил Джона когда он подошёл к своему общежитию.

Maxim met John when he was approaching his hostel.

 

Pronoun своя.

своя  – своей

Максим показывает фотографию Джона своей мамe.

Maxim shows John’s photo to his mother.

           

Pronoun свои.

свои – своим

 

Профессор вчера сообщил своим студентам об экзамене.

Professor informed his students about the exam yesterday.

 

Instrumental Case

Pronoun свой.

Pronouns свой and свое qualifying singular masculine and neuter nouns declines as своим.

свой/свое  – своим

Джон говорит по телефону с своим братом.

John talks to his brother over telephone.

 

Pronoun своя qualifying singular feminine noun declines as своей.

своя – своей

Максим говорит с своей учительницей.

Maxim talks with his teacher.   

 

Pronoun свои qualifying plural noun of all the genders declines as своими.

свои - своими

Каждую субботу наши профессоры встречаются с своими аспирантами.

Our professors meet their research scholars every Saturday.

 

Pronoun свой.

Pronouns свой and свое qualifying singular masculine and neuter nouns declines as своим.

свой/свое  – своим

Джон говорит по телефону с своим братом.

John talks to his brother over telephone.

 

Pronoun своя qualifying singular feminine noun declines as своей.

своя – своей

Максим говорит с своей учительницей.

Maxim talks with his teacher.   

 

Pronoun свои qualifying plural noun of all the genders declines as своими.

свои - своими

Каждую субботу наши профессоры встречаются с своими аспирантами.

Our professors meet their research scholars every Saturday.

 

The pronoun свой may show that the object it qualifies belongs not to one person but to a number of persons performing an action:

Я кончил свою работу.

I have finished my work.

 

Нина кончила свою работу.

Nina has finished her work

 

Винот и Нина кончили свою работу.

Vinod and Nina have finished their work.

 

Ты кончил свою работу.

You finished your work.

 

Я думаю о своей маме.

I am thinking o bout my mom.

 

Максим думает о своей маме.

Maxim is thinking about his mom.

 

If the subject of the sentence is a personal pronoun of the first or second person (я, ты, мы, вы), свой may sometimes be replaced by the corresponding possessive pronoun of the first or second person (мой my, твой your, наш our, ваш your). Thus, we generally say:

 

Я кончили свою работу.

I have finished my work. But we can also say:

 

Я кончили мою работу.

I have finished my work.

 

The meaning of the two sentences is the same.

If the subject of the sentence is a noun or a personal pronoun of the third person (он, она, оно, они), свой can not be replaced by a possessive pronoun of the third person as it would change the meaning of the sentence.

 

Винот читает своё письмо.

Vinod reads his (own) letter.

 

Винот читает его письмо.

Vinod reads his (i.e. somebody else's) letter.

 

The difference in the meaning of своё and его is clear in the translation as the first sentence states that the letter is Vinod’s, while the second shows that the letter belongs not to Vinod but to somebody else.

The pronoun свой is used only when the object qualified by the possessive pronoun belongs to the performer of the action.

 

The pronoun свой is used only when the object qualified by the possessive pronoun belongs to the performer of the action.

 

Мы сажаем цветы около своего общежития.        

We plant flowers near our hostel.

Ты забыл свою сумку в библиотеке.          

You have left your bag in the library.    

 

Тебе необходимо исправить своей ошибки.

You must correct your mistakes.

Мне нужно собрать свою тетрадь. 

I must collect my notebook.

 

The word which denotes the performer of the action may be either the subject of a sentence.  The object in the dative in an impersonal sentence.

If the object does not belong to the performer of the action or if there is no performer of the action in the sentence, the pronoun свой cannot be used.

The word which denotes the performer of the action may be either the subject of a sentence.  The object in the dative in an impersonal sentence.

If the object does not belong to the performer of the action or if there is no performer of the action in the sentence, the pronoun свой cannot be used.

 

Около нашего общежития есть парк.

There is a park near our hostel.

 

У моего друга новый мотоцикл.

My friend has a new motorcycle.

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