minu / sinu / tema

Possessive Pronouns

Level 1

"My brother" is minu vend or mu vend. Estonian uses the genitive of the pronoun for "my", "your" and so on.

How It Works

1. The forms

  • my: minu or mu
  • your (one person): sinu or su
  • his, her: tema or ta
  • our: meie
  • your (several people, or polite): teie
  • their: nende

These are the genitives of the personal pronouns; see the genitive. Estonian has no gender, so tema means both "his" and "her". Grammar books also list short me and te for meie and teie, but in writing the long forms are the usual choice.

2. Long or short?
Both are standard. In ordinary sentences you can use either: See on mu vend. Minu nimi on Kati. Use the long form to stress or contrast the owner: See on minu raamat, mitte sinu.

3. The pronoun does not change
Only the noun takes case and plural endings:

  • minu raamat (my book) → minu raamatud (my books)
  • minu majas (in my house), minu sõbraga (with my friend)

4. oma for "one's own"
When the owner is the subject of the sentence, Estonian uses oma instead: Ma armastan oma ema (I love my mother). To say "mine" or "yours" on its own, see minu oma.

Examples (6)

  1. See on mu vend.

    This is my brother.

    Word by Word: This is my brother.

    mu is the short form of minu.

  2. Kus on teie maja?

    Where is your house?

    Word by Word: Where is your house?

    teie is for several people or for polite address.

  3. Minu nimi on Kati.

    My name is Kati.

    Word by Word: My name is Kati.

  4. Sinu kohv on laual.

    Your coffee is on the table.

    Word by Word: Your coffee is on-table.

  5. Nende lapsed käivad koolis.

    Their children go to school.

    Word by Word: Their children go in-school.

    nende stays the same before a plural noun.

  6. See on minu raamat, mitte sinu.

    This is my book, not yours.

    Word by Word: This is my book, not your.

    The long forms minu and sinu stress the contrast.

Common Mistakes

  • Using the subject pronoun instead of the genitive.

    See on mina vend.
    See on minu vend.

    For "my", use the genitive minu (or mu), not the subject form mina.

  • Adding a plural ending to the pronoun.

    minud raamatud
    minu raamatud

    The possessive pronoun never changes. Only the noun takes -d.

  • Using minu when the owner is the subject.

    Ma armastan minu ema.
    Ma armastan oma ema.

    When the owner is the subject of the sentence, Estonian uses oma: oma ema.

How It Connects

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minu / sinu / temaLevel 1Possessive Pronouns

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Possessive pronouns are the genitive of the personal pronouns.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

minanemadmeie