Possessives in All Cases

Level 3

minn changes with the noun's case: vinur minn (my friend), með vini mínum (with my friend), bíll bróður míns (my brother's car).

How It Works

Singular (masculine · feminine · neuter)

  • Nominative: minn · mín · mitt
  • Accusative: minn · mína · mitt
  • Dative: mínum · minni · mínu
  • Genitive: míns · minnar · míns

Plural (masculine · feminine · neuter)

  • Nominative: mínir · mínar · mín
  • Accusative: mína · mínar · mín
  • Dative: mínum (all genders)
  • Genitive: minna (all genders)

í or i?
The stem is mín-, but it has a short i and a double n in minn itself and before the endings -i, -ar and -a (minni, minnar, minna), and a short i in mitt. þinn and sinn work the same way: þinni, sinni, þitt, sitt.

Where it goes
The possessive usually follows a noun with the article: Ég talaði við konuna mína. Family words take no article: með móður minni (Family Words Without the Article). The basic forms are in My and Your.

sinn
sinn means his, her or their own and refers back to the subject: Hún býr hjá foreldrum sínum (She lives with her own parents). See His, Her or Their Own.

Examples (6)

  1. Ég fór með vini mínum.

    I went with my friend.

    Word by Word: I went with friend my.

    með takes the dative here, so minn becomes mínum.

  2. Ég talaði við konuna mína.

    I talked to my wife.

    Word by Word: I talked with the-wife my.

    við takes the accusative. kona is feminine, so the form is mína.

  3. Hefurðu séð símann minn?

    Have you seen my phone?

    Word by Word: Have-you seen the-phone my?

  4. Þetta er bíll bróður míns.

    This is my brother's car.

    Word by Word: This is car brother's my.

    bróður and míns are both genitive.

  5. Ég gaf dóttur minni bók.

    I gave my daughter a book.

    Word by Word: I gave daughter my book.

    dóttir is feminine and here in the dative, so the form is minni.

  6. Hún býr hjá foreldrum sínum.

    She lives with her parents.

    Word by Word: She lives at parents her-own.

Common Mistakes

  • Leaving the possessive in the nominative.

    Ég fór með vini minn.
    Ég fór með vini mínum.

    The possessive takes the same case as its noun. vini is dative, so use mínum.

  • Using the wrong gender or case form.

    Ég talaði við konuna mín.
    Ég talaði við konuna mína.

    konuna is feminine accusative, so the possessive is mína.

How It Connects

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Possessives in All CasesLevel 3

Learn This First

minn in all cases builds on minn and strong adjectives.

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Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern

minnminnþinnþinnsinnsinnmínummínamínsmínminniminnarmittmínu