-ov / -in

Possessive Adjectives in -ov and -in

Level 3

Instead of a genitive, Slovak can turn one person's name or title into an adjective: Peter → Petrov, mama → mamin.

How It Works

Making the adjective.

  • male owner + -ov: otec → otcov (the e drops, see the moving e), brat → bratov, dedo → dedov, Peter → Petrov
  • female owner, -a → -in: mama → mamin, sestra → sestrin, babka → babkin, Eva → Evin, Jana → Janin

Agreement with the thing owned.

  • masculine: otcov dom, mamin dom
  • feminine: otcova kniha, mamina kniha
  • neuter: otcovo auto, mamino auto
  • plural: otcove knihy, mamine knihy; for men: otcovi priatelia, mamini priatelia

In other cases they take adjective endings: v otcovom dome, s maminou kamarátkou, do Petrovho auta.

Capital letters. Adjectives made from names keep the capital letter: Petrov, Janin.

Only for one specific person. For several owners, for things, or when the owner has its own describing word, use the possessive genitive: dom mojich rodičov, koniec filmu, byt môjho brata.

Examples (6)

  1. To je otcov dom.

    That's my father's house.

    Word by Word: That is father's house.

  2. Petrova sestra býva v Trnave.

    Peter's sister lives in Trnava.

    Word by Word: Peter's-F sister lives in Trnava.

  3. Mamina kniha leží na stole.

    Mom's book is on the table.

    Word by Word: Mom's-F book lies on table.

  4. Išli sme Janiným autom.

    We went in Jana's car.

    Word by Word: Went AUX-we Jana's-INSTR car-INSTR.

  5. Evini rodičia sú veľmi milí.

    Eva's parents are very nice.

    Word by Word: Eva's-PL parents are very nice.

    Rodičia are people and include a man, so the ending is -i.

  6. Sme v babkinej záhrade.

    We're in Grandma's garden.

    Word by Word: We-are in Grandma's-LOC garden-LOC.

Common Mistakes

  • Using -ov for a female owner.

    Mamov kufor stojí pri dverách.
    Mamin kufor stojí pri dverách.

    A female owner takes -in: mama → mamin.

  • Not making the adjective agree with the thing owned.

    Petrov sestra je lekárka.
    Petrova sestra je lekárka.

    Sestra is feminine, so the adjective ends in -a: Petrova.

  • Using -ov when the owner has its own describing word.

    Môjho bratov byt je veľký.
    Byt môjho brata je veľký.

    A possessive adjective cannot take its own describing word. Use the genitive after the noun: byt môjho brata.

How It Connects

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

-ov / -inLevel 3Possessive Adjectives in -ov and -in

Learn This First

Before Possessive Adjectives in -ov and -in, learn Possession With the Genitive. -ov and -in adjectives express possession, like the possessive genitive.