Norwegian possessives table (min, mi, mitt, mine)
The possessive changes with the noun it belongs to, and it normally comes after a noun in the definite form: bilen min. Here are all the forms, the word order and the difference between sin and hans.
| en bil (masculine) | ei bok (feminine) | et hus (neuter) | biler (plural) |
|---|---|---|---|
| bilen min my Bilen min står på verkstedet.My car is at the garage. | boka mi / boken min Har du sett boka mi?Have you seen my book? | huset mitt Huset mitt ligger ti minutter fra sentrum.My house is ten minutes from the centre. | bilene mine Begge bilene mine trenger nye vinterdekk.Both my cars need new winter tyres. |
| bilen din your Kan jeg låne bilen din i morgen?Can I borrow your car tomorrow? | boka di / boken din Jeg glemte boka di på bussen.I left your book on the bus. | huset ditt Huset ditt er så koselig!Your house is so cosy! | bilene dine Du må flytte bilene dine i dag.You have to move your cars today. |
| bilen hans his Bilen hans er en gammel Volvo.His car is an old Volvo. | boka hans Boka hans handler om livet i Lofoten.His book is about life in Lofoten. | huset hans Huset hans har utsikt over fjorden.His house has a view of the fjord. | bilene hans Bilene hans står i en stor garasje.His cars are in a big garage. |
| bilen hennes her Bilen hennes er rød og helt ny.Her car is red and brand new. | boka hennes Boka hennes kommer ut før jul.Her book comes out before Christmas. | huset hennes Huset hennes er fullt av planter.Her house is full of plants. | bilene hennes Bilene hennes er alltid rene.Her cars are always clean. |
| bilen vår our Bilen vår er elektrisk.Our car is electric. | boka vår Boka vår til kurset er ganske dyr.Our book for the course is quite expensive. | huset vårt Huset vårt er gult og har en stor hage.Our house is yellow and has a big garden. | bilene våre Bilene våre står i garasjen om natta.Our cars are in the garage at night. |
| bilen deres your (plural); their Er bilen deres ferdig på verkstedet?Is your car ready at the garage? | boka deres Boka deres ligger igjen i klasserommet.Your book has been left in the classroom. | huset deres Huset deres har fått nytt tak.Their house has got a new roof. | bilene deres Bilene deres sperrer innkjørselen vår.Their cars are blocking our driveway. |
| bilen sin his, her, their own Thomas vasker bilen sin hver søndag.Thomas washes his car every Sunday. | boka si / boken sin Nora leser boka si på toget.Nora reads her book on the train. | huset sitt Familien selger huset sitt i Sandnes.The family is selling their house in Sandnes. | bilene sine Naboene parkerer bilene sine i gata.The neighbours park their cars in the street. |
| Normal (after, definite form) | Emphasis (before, indefinite form) |
|---|---|
| bilen minmy car | min bil |
| huset vårtour house | vårt hus |
| barna minemy children | mine barn |
| jobben hennesher job | hennes jobb |
| Sin: the owner is the subject | Hans/hennes: someone else is the owner |
|---|---|
| Per vasker bilen sin.Per washes his own car · Per washes his (another man's) car | Per vasker bilen hans. |
| Kari ringer mora si.Kari calls her own mother · Kari calls her (another woman's) mother | Kari ringer mora hennes. |
| De selger huset sitt.They sell their own house · They sell their (other people's) house | De selger huset deres. |
| Lars besøker vennene sine.Lars visits his own friends · Lars visits his (another man's) friends | Lars besøker vennene hans. |
Tips:
- After the noun, use the definite form: bilen min. Before the noun, use the bare form: min bil. Never «min bilen».
- The normal everyday order is bilen min. Min bil sounds stressed: my car, not yours.
- Sin means his, her or their own and points back to the subject. English «his» can be sin or hans, so ask yourself: whose is it?
- Typical mistake: «Sin bil er ny». Sin is never part of the subject: Bilen hans er ny.
NorskGrammatikk.com