son, sa, sos, sas
His, Her and Its
Son, sa, sos and sas mean his, her and its, and they match the thing owned, not the owner.
How It Works
Occitan has one word for his, her and its. The noun decides the form, as with mon and ton.
| Noun | Form | Example |
|---|---|---|
| masculine singular | son | son paire (his or her father) |
| feminine singular | sa | sa maire (his or her mother) |
| masculine plural | sos | sos amics (his or her friends) |
| feminine plural | sas | sas sòrres (his or her sisters) |
So Joan parla a sa maire means Joan talks to his mother, and Maria parla a son paire means Maria talks to her father. The word follows paire and maire, not Joan or Maria.
Before a feminine noun that starts with a vowel, son is the usual form: son amiga (his or her friend).
For their, Occitan uses lor. In some places son and sa are used for their as well. That is a local habit you meet later.
Examples (5)
- Joan parla a son paire.
Joan talks to his father.
Son goes with paire, a masculine noun.
- Maria parla a sa maire.
Maria talks to her mother.
Sa goes with maire, a feminine noun.
- Maria parla a son paire.
Maria talks to her father.
Son again, because paire is masculine.
- Sos amics son aicí.
His friends are here.
Sos goes with a masculine plural.
- Joan e son amiga demòran a Besièrs.
Joan and his friend live in Béziers.
Son before a feminine noun that starts with a vowel.
Common Mistakes
Matching the owner instead of the noun
Maria parla a sa paire.Maria parla a son paire.Paire is masculine, so use son, even when the owner is a woman.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Son and its forms agree like mon and ma and go with el and ela, so mon and the singular pronouns come first.
- mon, ma, mos, masMy
Know mon, ma, mos and mas, because son, sa, sos and sas agree with the thing owned in the same way: sa maire, sos amics.
Level 1 - ieu, tu, el, elaSingular Subject Pronouns
Know el and ela, because son means his or her and agrees with the thing owned, not with el or ela: Maria parla a son paire.
Level 1
Related Patterns
Learn Next
Patterns that build on this one.
Words in This Pattern
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