az övé

Mine / Yours / Theirs

Level 3

Use az enyém (mine), a tiéd (yours), or az övé (his/hers/its) to avoid repeating a noun. These words act like nouns themselves and almost always require a definite article.

How It Works

Possessive anaphors are used when the object being possessed is already known from context. Instead of saying 'my book' (az én könyvem), you simply say 'mine' (az enyém).

1. The Forms (Singular Object)

  • az enyém: mine
  • a tiéd: yours (singular informal)
  • az öné / a magáé: yours (singular formal)
  • az övé: his / hers / its
  • a miénk: ours
  • a tiétek: yours (plural informal)
  • az önöké / a maguké: yours (plural formal)
  • az övék: theirs

2. Plural Objects
If you own multiple things, the pronoun changes to reflect the plural nature of the possessed items:

  • az enyéim: mine (plural things)
  • a tieid: yours (singular informal, plural things)
  • az önéi / a magáéi: yours (singular formal, plural things)
  • az övéi: his / hers / its (plural things)
  • a mieink: ours (plural things)
  • a tieitek: yours (plural informal, plural things)
  • az önökéi / a magukéi: yours (plural formal, plural things)
  • az övéik: theirs (plural things)

3. Usage with Articles
In Hungarian, these pronouns are treated as substantives (nouns). Therefore, they almost always require the definite article (a/az). The only common exception is in very short, emphatic answers to the question 'Whose is this?' (e.g., —Kié ez? —Enyém.).

4. Declension
Because they act like nouns, they can take case endings. For example, if 'mine' is the direct object, you add the accusative suffix: Kérem az enyémet (I want mine).

Examples (4)

  1. Ez a toll az enyém, az a tiéd.

    This pen is mine, that one is yours.

    Word by Word: This the pen the mine, that the yours.

    Here, 'az enyém' and 'a tiéd' replace the word 'toll' (pen) to avoid repetition.

  2. A mi házunk nagyobb, mint az övék.

    Our house is bigger than theirs.

    Word by Word: The our house bigger, than the theirs.

    Note that 'az övék' means one thing owned by multiple people (their house).

  3. Ezek a könyvek nem az övéi, hanem a mieink.

    These books are not his/hers, but ours.

    Word by Word: These the books not the his/hers(plural), but the ours(plural).

    Because 'könyvek' (books) is plural, we use the plural forms 'az övéi' and 'a mieink'.

  4. Elvesztettem a kulcsomat. Kölcsönadnád a tiédet?

    I lost my key. Would you lend me yours?

    Word by Word: I-lost the my-key-ACC. You-would-lend the yours-ACC?

    The pronoun 'a tiéd' takes the accusative '-et' suffix because it is the object of the verb.

Common Mistakes

  • Omitting the definite article.

    Ez enyém.
    Ez az enyém.

    In Hungarian, possessive pronouns almost always require 'a' or 'az' before them, unlike in English.

  • Using the pronoun together with a noun.

    Ez az enyém könyv.
    Ez az én könyvem.

    Possessive anaphors replace the noun. If you want to say 'my book', use the personal pronoun 'én' and the possessive suffix on the noun.

  • Confusing 'az övéi' (his/hers - plural objects) with 'az övék' (theirs - singular object).

    A gyerekek játéka az övéi.
    A gyerekek játéka az övék.

    'Az övék' refers to one thing owned by 'them'. 'Az övéi' refers to multiple things owned by 'him' or 'her'.

How It Connects

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

az övéLevel 3Mine / Yours / Theirs

Learn This First

To understand possessive anaphors like 'az övé' (his/hers/its), you must first be familiar with how Hungarian marks possession on nouns using suffixes. You also need to understand how definite articles function, as they are required before these pronouns, and how personal pronouns map to different grammatical persons.

Words in This Pattern

övé