свой

The Reflexive Possessive Свой

Level 3Sounds Like svoj

Ён узяў сваю кнігу. (He took his own book.) Ён узяў яго кнігу. (He took his book, meaning another man's.)

How It Works

Forms. Свой agrees with the thing owned, like мой and твой:

  • nominative: свой (masc.), свая (fem.), сваё (neut.), свае (plural)
  • genitive: свайго, сваёй, сваіх; dative: свайму, сваёй, сваім
  • accusative: свой or свайго (animate), сваю, сваё, свае or сваіх
  • instrumental: сваім, сваёй, сваімі; locative: сваім, сваёй, сваіх

Third person: свой or яго?

  • Ён узяў сваю кнігу. He took his own book.
  • Ён узяў яго кнігу. He took another man's book.

Яго, яе and іх never refer to the subject of their own clause, so choosing свой removes any doubt.

First and second person. Я люблю свой горад and Я люблю мой горад are both correct. Свой sounds more natural when the owner is the subject; мой adds a little emphasis.

Not in the subject. Because свой points to the subject, it cannot be inside the subject: say Яго сястра жыве ў Мінску (His sister lives in Minsk).

Свой often goes with кожны: Кожны мае сваю думку. (Everyone has their own opinion.) The pronoun for oneself is сябе.

Examples (6)

  1. Ён узяў сваю кнігу.

    He took his own book.

    Word by Word: He took own book.

  2. Ён узяў яго кнігу.

    He took his book (someone else's).

    Word by Word: He took his book.

    Яго points to a different man.

  3. Я люблю свой горад.

    I love my city.

    Word by Word: I love own city.

  4. Мы едзем да сваіх бацькоў.

    We are going to our parents' place.

    Word by Word: We go to own parents.

    Да takes the genitive: сваіх.

  5. Кожны мае сваю думку.

    Everyone has their own opinion.

    Word by Word: Each has own opinion.

  6. Яна напісала сваёй сяброўцы.

    She wrote to her friend.

    Word by Word: She wrote to-own friend.

    Dative: сваёй сяброўцы.

Common Mistakes

  • Using яго when the owner is the subject.

    Андрэй прыйшоў з яго сястрой.
    Андрэй прыйшоў са сваёй сястрой.

    If Andrei came with his own sister, use свой: са сваёй сястрой. З яго сястрой would mean some other man's sister.

  • Putting свой inside the subject.

    Свая сястра жыве ў Мінску.
    Яго сястра жыве ў Мінску.

    Свой points back to the subject, so it cannot describe the subject itself. Use яго, яе or іх there.

  • Forgetting to make свой agree with the noun.

    Яна ўзяла свой сумку.
    Яна ўзяла сваю сумку.

    Сумка is feminine and here in the accusative, so the form is сваю.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

свойLevel 3The Reflexive Possessive Свой

Learn This First

Свой needs possessives and сябе.

Words in This Pattern

свойсвой