sia
Sia: Own
Sia means the subject's own.
How It Works
| Sentence | Whose mother? |
|---|---|
| Li amas sian patrinon. | his own mother |
| Li amas lian patrinon. | another man's mother |
| Ili vendas siajn domojn. | their own houses |
| Mi amas mian patrinon. | with mi, use mia |
Sia is the possessive partner of si. It points back to the subject of the same clause: the one who loves is also the owner.
It is a describing word, so it copies the endings of its noun: sia hundo, siaj hundoj, sian hundon, siajn hundojn.
Sia is only for the third person. With mi, ni and vi, use mia, nia and via: Mi vidas mian fraton.
Examples (5)
- Li amas sian patrinon.
He loves his own mother.
Sian points back to the subject li.
- Ili vendas siajn domojn.
They sell their own houses.
Siajn copies -jn from domojn.
- Ana vizitas sian avinon en Brazilo.
Ana visits her grandmother in Brazil.
Sian avinon is Ana's own grandmother.
- La hundo ludas per sia pilko.
The dog plays with its own ball.
Sia belongs to the dog, the subject.
- Ewa montras sian urbon al Kofi.
Ewa shows her city to Kofi.
Sian urbon is the city of Ewa, the subject.
Common Mistakes
Using sia with mi.
Mi amas sian patrinon.Mi amas mian patrinon.Sia belongs to the third person. With mi, use mia.
Using ŝia when the subject's own mother is meant.
Ŝi vidas ŝian patrinon.Ŝi vidas sian patrinon.Ŝi vidas ŝian patrinon is a correct sentence, but it says that she sees another woman's mother. For her own mother, use sian.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Sia is the possessive of si, in the same way mia is the possessive of mi.
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Practice sia in Bubblegum
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