Noun + на + Owner
Possession with На
Say the thing first, then на + the owner: колата на Мария (Maria's car), столицата на България (the capital of Bulgaria).
How It Works
1. Word order. The thing, then на, then the owner:
- колата на Мария (Maria's car)
- името на улицата (the name of the street)
- краят на филма (the end of the film)
- столицата на България (the capital of Bulgaria)
2. Article or no article. Приятелят на Иван is a particular friend we know about. Приятел на Иван is "a friend of Ivan's". Most of the time you need the article. A masculine noun takes the full or short article depending on its role: Приятелят на Иван дойде. (Ivan's friend came.) Видях приятеля на Иван. (I saw Ivan's friend.)
3. Chains. На can repeat: колата на брата на Мария (Maria's brother's car).
4. Pronoun owners. For my, your and so on, use possessive pronouns or short possessives: моята кола or колата ми (my car).
5. Saying whose it is. After съм, на + owner means "belongs to": Тази чанта е на Петя. (This bag is Petya's.) The question is На кого е? (Whose is it?) or Чия е? (see asking whose).
Examples (6)
- Колата на Мария е червена.
Maria's car is red.
The thing (колата) comes first and takes the article.
- София е столицата на България.
Sofia is the capital of Bulgaria.
- Не помня името на улицата.
I don't remember the name of the street.
- Той е приятел на брат ми.
He is a friend of my brother's.
Without the article, приятел means one of several friends.
- Тази чанта е на Петя.
This bag is Petya's.
After съм, на + owner says who it belongs to.
- Краят на филма беше много тъжен.
The end of the film was very sad.
Common Mistakes
Putting the owner first, as in English.
Мария колата е нова.Колата на Мария е нова.Bulgarian puts the thing first, then на and the owner.
Leaving out the article on a particular thing.
Кола на Мария е нова.Колата на Мария е нова.When you mean Maria's one known car, the first noun needs the article: колата.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Possession with на needs на and the article.
Related Patterns
- на + RecipientIndirect Objects with На
The same preposition на also marks the person who receives something.
Level 2 - чий/чия/чие/чииAsking Whose
The question word for asking who something belongs to.
Level 2 - мой/твойPossessive Pronouns
Use these instead of на when the owner is a pronoun.
Level 1 - Definite Noun + ми/ти/му/ѝ/ни/ви/имShort Possessive Forms
Short possessives such as колата ми are the everyday way to say my car.
Level 2 - Full Versus Short Masculine Article
A masculine owned noun takes -ът or -а depending on its role in the sentence.
Level 2
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
Practice Noun + на + Owner in Bubblegum
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