Relative чиј
Relative Clauses with Чиј
Чиј = whose in a relative clause: Човекот чија куќа ја купивме живее во Скопје. (The man whose house we bought lives in Skopje.) The form чија matches куќа, the thing owned.
How It Works
The same forms as in questions. You already know чиј from asking whose. In a relative clause it links an owner to the thing owned:
- чиј, masculine: жената чиј син работи во банка (the woman whose son works in a bank)
- чија, feminine: човекот чија куќа ја купивме (the man whose house we bought)
- чие, neuter: соседите чие куче лае цела ноќ (the neighbours whose dog barks all night)
- чии, plural: писателот чии книги ги читам (the writer whose books I read)
The owner does not matter: a woman's son is still чиј син, because син is masculine.
No article on the owned noun. Say чија куќа, not чија куќата. Чиј already makes the noun definite.
The owned thing as the object. When the owned noun is the object of the verb, a short pronoun repeats it before the verb: чија куќа ја купивме, чии книги ги читам. This is the same doubling as in doubling a definite object.
With a preposition. The preposition comes first and is never left at the end: Човекот во чија куќа живеам е мој вујко. (The man whose house I live in is my uncle.) Compare relatives after prepositions.
Чијшто. In writing you will also see чијшто, чијашто, чиешто, чиишто, written as one word. They mean the same thing. For other relative words, see relative clauses with кој.
Examples (5)
- Човекот чија куќа ја купивме живее во Скопје.
The man whose house we bought lives in Skopje.
Word by Word: Man-the whose house it we-bought lives in Skopje.
- Писателот чии книги ги читам е од Охрид.
The writer whose books I read is from Ohrid.
Word by Word: Writer-the whose books them I-read is from Ohrid.
- Жената чиј син работи во банка е моја тетка.
The woman whose son works in a bank is my aunt.
Word by Word: Woman-the whose son works in bank is my aunt.
Чиј is masculine because син is masculine, even though the owner is a woman.
- Соседите чие куче лае цела ноќ се преселија.
The neighbours whose dog barks all night have moved away.
Word by Word: Neighbours-the whose dog barks whole night themselves moved.
- Човекот во чија куќа живеам е мој вујко.
The man whose house I live in is my uncle.
Word by Word: Man-the in whose house I-live is my uncle.
Common Mistakes
Making чиј agree with the owner.
Жената чија син работи во банка е моја тетка.Жената чиј син работи во банка е моја тетка.Чиј agrees with the thing owned. Син is masculine, so the form is чиј, even though the owner is a woman.
Leaving the preposition at the end, as in English.
Човекот чија куќа живеам во е мој вујко.Човекот во чија куќа живеам е мој вујко.A Macedonian preposition cannot stand at the end of the clause. Put it before чиј.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Relative чиј combines relative кој and question чиј.
Related Patterns
- Relative штоRelative Clauses with Што
Што is the most common relative word for other cases.
Level 3 - со кого / за кој / на когоRelatives After Prepositions
The same rule: the preposition comes first in a relative clause.
Level 3 - Doubling a Definite Object
Explains the short pronoun in чија куќа ја купивме.
Level 2 - Noun + на + OwnerPossession with На
The simplest way to name an owner in a main clause.
Level 1
Words in This Pattern
Practice Relative чиј in Bubblegum
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