अपन

One's Own

Level 2Sounds Like apana

अपन means one's own and points back to the subject.

How It Works

Subject	With अपन
हम	हम अपन घर जाइत छी।
अहाँ	अहाँ अपन नाम लिखू।
ओ	ओ अपन माय सँ गप्प कएलक।
हम सभ	हम सभ अपन गाम जाइत छी।

Compare with the ordinary possessives. हमर means my, and ओकर means his. ओ ओकर घर जाइत अछि means he goes to somebody else's house. ओ अपन घर जाइत अछि means he goes to his own.

अपन can stand for family and close things: अपन लोक (one's own people). It is not for the owner in a different clause.

Examples (5)

हम अपन घर जाइत छी।
I'm going to my own house.
अपन points back to हम.
अहाँ अपन नाम लिखू।
Write your name.
अपन points back to अहाँ.
ओ अपन माय सँ गप्प कएलक।
He talked to his own mother.
अपन points back to ओ.
हम सभ अपन गाम जाइत छी।
We are going to our own village.
अपन works for हम सभ.
बउआ अपन खेलौना ताकैत अछि।
The little boy is looking for his toy.
अपन does not change.

Common Mistakes

Using ओकर when the owner is the subject.
ओ ओकर माय सँ गप्प कएलक।
ओ अपन माय सँ गप्प कएलक।
ओकर would mean somebody else's mother. अपन points back to the subject.

How It Connects

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

अपनLevel 2One's Own

Learn This First

अपन takes the place of a possessive when the owner is the subject, so the possessives come first.

हमर / अहाँक / ओकरMy, Your and His or Her
Know हमर, because हम अपन घर जाइत छी uses अपन where a learner might expect हमर.
Level 1

Words in This Pattern

अपनहमरओकर

Practice अपन in Bubblegum

Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Maithili lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.