мой / твой
Possessives Мой and Твой
Мой (my) and твой (your) match the thing owned: мой брат, мая сястра, маё акно, мае бацькі.
How It Works
In Belarusian the word for "my" or "your" takes its gender and number from the thing owned, not from the owner.
The four forms:
- Masculine: мой / твой / наш / ваш брат
- Feminine: мая / твая / наша / ваша сястра
- Neuter: маё / тваё / наша / ваша акно
- Plural: мае / твае / нашы / вашы бацькі
Why мая and not моя? The stress is on the ending (мая́, маё, мае́), so by akanye the unstressed о of the stem is written а. Note that наша is both feminine and neuter.
Which "your"? Use твой when you speak to one person as ты. Use ваш for several people or for one person you address politely as вы.
His, her, their work differently. They never change: яго, яе, іх.
Later you will meet свой (one's own). It must replace яго, яе and іх when the owner is the subject of the sentence, and it is usually preferred over мой and твой there too.
Examples (6)
- Гэта мой брат Алесь.
This is my brother Ales.
Word by Word: This my brother Ales.
Брат is masculine, so the form is мой.
- Мая сястра жыве ў Мінску.
My sister lives in Minsk.
Word by Word: My sister lives in Minsk.
Сястра is feminine, so the form is мая, whoever is speaking.
- Дзе тваё паліто?
Where is your coat?
Word by Word: Where your coat?
Паліто is neuter, so the form is тваё.
- Мае бацькі жывуць у вёсцы.
My parents live in a village.
Word by Word: My parents live in village.
Бацькі is plural, so the form is мае.
- Наша кватэра невялікая.
Our apartment is small.
Word by Word: Our apartment not-big.
Кватэра is feminine, so the form is наша.
- Гэта ваша кава?
Is this your coffee?
Word by Word: This your coffee?
Ваша can speak to several people or politely to one person.
Common Mistakes
Choosing the form by the owner instead of the thing owned.
Мой кніга тут.Мая кніга тут.Кніга is feminine, so "my" must be feminine: мая. This is true even if a man is speaking.
Using the Russian spelling моя.
Гэта моя сястра.Гэта мая сястра.The Belarusian form is мая. The unstressed о is written а because of akanye.
Writing the plural with Russian и.
Гэта наши сябры.Гэта нашы сябры.Belarusian has no letter и. The plural of наш is нашы.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Possessives agree like adjectives.
Related Patterns
- яго / яе / іхInvariable Possessives Яго, Яе and Іх
His, her and their never change, unlike мой and твой.
Level 1 - свойThe Reflexive Possessive Свой
Свой is usually preferred over мой and твой when the owner is the subject.
Level 3 - Noun Gender
You need the noun's gender to choose мой, мая or маё.
Level 1 - чыйQuestion Word Чый
Чый asks "whose?" and is answered with мой, твой, наш and the rest.
Level 2 - выPlural and Polite You
Ваш is the possessive that goes with plural or polite вы.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice мой / твой in Bubblegum
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