Moj, tvoj, njegov: whose it is, and why svoj outranks them all
Moj, tvoj, naš, vaš bend with the thing owned: moj brat, moja sestra, moje dete. So do njegov, njen and njihov — they agree with the thing, never with the owner: njegova sestra, njen brat. For example: “Моја ћерка има осам година” — My daughter is eight years old. A rule from the Serbian course: worked out on examples, not memorized as a wording.
How it works
Moj, tvoj, naš, vaš bend with the thing owned: moj brat, moja sestra, moje dete. So do njegov, njen and njihov — they agree with the thing, never with the owner: njegova sestra, njen brat.
Then comes a rule English has no obligation for. Serbian wants svoj when the owner is the one acting: Uzeo sam svoj kofer — I took my own suitcase.
With he and she the choice becomes meaning. Marko je uzeo svoj kofer — his own one. Marko je uzeo njegov kofer — somebody else's. One word decides who is left without luggage.
And from a person's name Serbian builds an adjective: Markov dom, Miličina sestra. The ending is -ov or -ev for men and -in for women, and the word keeps its capital letter.
Table
| who | m. | f. | n. | in English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ja | moj | moja | moje | my |
| ti | tvoj | tvoja | tvoje | your |
| on | njegov | njegova | njegovo | his |
| ona | njen | njena | njeno | her |
| mi, vi | naš, vaš | naša, vaša | naše, vaše | our, your (pl.) |
| oni | njihov | njihova | njihovo | their |
| the subject | svoj | svoja | svoje | one's own — required here |
| from a name | Markov | Markova | Markovo | Mark's |
By example
- Моја ћерка има осам годинаMoja ćerka ima osam godinaMy daughter is eight years old
- Марко је продао свој бициклMarko je prodao svoj biciklMarko sold his own bicycle
- Идемо на Миличино венчањеIdemo na Miličino venčanjeWe are going to Milica's wedding
How the rule settles in your head
A rule is not memorized from an explanation. It is memorized from an attempt to use it and a mistake — that is why the app delivers it mixed in with words, not as a separate lesson: it resurfaces exactly where you forgot it.
Frequently asked
Svoj vs njegov in Serbian?
Moj, tvoj, naš, vaš bend with the thing owned: moj brat, moja sestra, moje dete. So do njegov, njen and njihov — they agree with the thing, never with the owner: njegova sestra, njen brat.
Svoj or moj: which one Serbian takes?
Then comes a rule English has no obligation for. Serbian wants svoj when the owner is the one acting: Uzeo sam svoj kofer — I took my own suitcase.
Markov dom or dom marka?
With he and she the choice becomes meaning. Marko je uzeo svoj kofer — his own one. Marko je uzeo njegov kofer — somebody else's. One word decides who is left without luggage.
How to say his sister in Serbian?
And from a person's name Serbian builds an adjective: Markov dom, Miličina sestra. The ending is -ov or -ev for men and -in for women, and the word keeps its capital letter.
What does it look like in an example sentence Serbian?
“Моја ћерка има осам година” (Moja ćerka ima osam godina) — My daughter is eight years old. A rule is easier to test on sentences like this than to memorize as a wording: what surfaces in conversation is the sentence.