ons/julle/hulle + Noun
Possessives: Our, Your, Their
ons skool (our school) · julle huis (your house) · hulle kinders (their children) · u naam (your name, polite).
How It Works
The plural possessives
- ons — our: ons skool, ons ouers
- julle — your, for two or more people you know well: julle huis
- hulle — their: hulle kinders
- u — your, polite, for one or more people: u paspoort
Position decides the meaning
Compare Hulle speel buite (They are playing outside) with Hulle kinders speel buite (Their children are playing outside). In the second sentence, hulle stands before a noun, so it means their.
Which your?
Use jou for one friend, julle for a group of friends, and u for polite speech. See Possessives: My, Your, His, Her and Polite U.
Good to know
- No article comes before a possessive: hulle kinders, not die hulle kinders.
- In writing you will often see hul and jul: hul kinders, jul huis. See Short Forms Hul and Jul.
- Without a noun, say ons s'n, julle s'n, hulle s'n (ours, yours, theirs). See Mine, Yours, Theirs.
Examples (6)
- Ons skool is naby die see.
Our school is near the sea.
Word by Word: Our school is near the sea.
- Waar is julle huis?
Where is your house?
Word by Word: Where is your house?
Julle speaks to two or more people.
- Hulle kinders speel buite.
Their children are playing outside.
Word by Word: Their children play outside.
Hulle comes before a noun, so it means their.
- Ons ouers kom Sondag kuier.
Our parents are coming to visit on Sunday.
Word by Word: Our parents come Sunday visit.
- Mag ek u paspoort sien?
May I see your passport?
Word by Word: May I your passport see?
U is the polite possessive.
- Die bure het hulle hond verloor.
The neighbours have lost their dog.
Word by Word: The neighbours have their dog lost.
Common Mistakes
Putting die before a possessive.
Die hulle kinders is slim.Hulle kinders is slim.A possessive already tells you whose the thing is, so die is not used with it.
Using julle for one friend’s own thing.
Julle kamer is mooi, Anna.Jou kamer is mooi, Anna.Julle is for two or more people. If the room is Anna’s alone, your is jou. Julle kamer would mean a room she shares with others.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The plural possessives complete the set started by the singular ones.
Related Patterns
- ons/julle/hulleSubject Pronouns Plural
The same three words are the plural subject and object pronouns.
Level 1 - uPolite U
U is the polite possessive for one or more people.
Level 1 - Noun + sePossession with Se
When the owner is a noun or a name, use se.
Level 1 - hul/julShort Forms Hul and Jul
Hul and jul are short written forms of hulle and julle.
Level 4 - myne/joune/syne/hare/s'nMine, Yours, Theirs
Without a noun, say ons s'n, julle s'n and hulle s'n.
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice ons/julle/hulle + Noun in Bubblegum
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