minu oma

Mine and Yours (Minu Oma)

Level 2

See raamat on minu oma means This book is mine. Kelle oma see on? means Whose is this?

How It Works

Genitive + oma means the one belonging to. It lets you avoid repeating the noun:

  • See raamat on minu oma. (This book is mine.)
  • Kelle oma see on? – Mari oma. (Whose is this? – Mari's.)
  • Meie maja on väiksem kui nende oma. (Our house is smaller than theirs.)

Any genitive works: minu, sinu, tema, meie, teie, nende, names (Mari oma) and nouns (laste omad, the children's). In speech the short forms mu oma and su oma are common.

Unlike the oma that stands before a noun, this oma is itself the noun, so it takes endings:

  • plural: Need kindad on sinu omad.
  • comitative: Sõidame sinu omaga.
  • elative, allative and more: minu omast, tema omale.

Examples (5)

  1. See raamat on minu oma.

    This book is mine.

    Word by Word: this book is my own

  2. Kelle oma see on? – Mari oma.

    Whose is this? – Mari's.

    Kelle is the genitive of kes.

  3. Need kindad on sinu omad.

    These gloves are yours.

    Omad is plural because it refers to the gloves.

  4. Minu auto on katki, sõidame sinu omaga.

    My car is broken, let's go in yours.

    Omaga has the comitative ending, like autoga would.

  5. Meie maja on väiksem kui nende oma.

    Our house is smaller than theirs.

Common Mistakes

  • Not making oma plural when it stands for plural things.

    Need kindad on sinu oma.
    Need kindad on sinu omad.

    Here oma replaces a noun, so it becomes plural like the noun: omad.

  • Leaving out the case ending on oma.

    Sõidame sinu oma.
    Sõidame sinu omaga.

    The replaced noun would be autoga, so oma also takes -ga.

  • Putting the owner in the nominative.

    See on mina oma.
    See on minu oma.

    The owner must be in the genitive: minu, sinu, Mari.

How It Connects

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

minu omaLevel 2Mine and Yours (Minu Oma)

Learn This First

minu oma uses oma after a genitive.

Words in This Pattern

minakes