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Personal pronomen

3 min read · 652 words

Personal pronouns replace nouns and denote persons depending on the grammatical person.

1st person:

  • Singular: ja (I)

  • Plural: mǐ (we)

2nd person:

  • Singular: tǐ (you)

  • Plural: vǐ (you)

  • vǐ is also used as a polite or formal form of address to one interlocutor.

3rd person:

  • Singular:

    • on (he) for male

    • ona (she) for female

  • Plural: oni (they) for both genders.

Note:
If the gender of an animate being is unclear, the masculine pronoun on is used .

Demonstrative pronouns for inanimate objects

Demonstrative pronouns can be used to denote inanimate objects:

  • Singular: eto (this)

  • Plural: eti (these)

The demonstrative pronouns eto and eti do not belong to  kto-prononimǐ and are used only for  čto-substantivǐ .

Personal pronouns change according to case:

  • Direct case (kasus-subjekt): used for the subject.

  • Indirect case (kasus-objekt): used for complements, both direct (without a preposition) and indirect (with a preposition).

1st person

Singular:

  • Direct case: ja (I)

  • Indirect case: mjenje (me)

Plural:

  • Direct case: mǐ (we)

  • Indirect case: nas (us)

2nd person

Singular:

  • Direct case: tǐ (you), Vǐ (you)

  • Indirect case: tjebje (you), Vas (You)

Plural:

  • Direct case: vǐ (you)

  • Indirect case: vas (you)

3rd person

Singular:

  • Masculine gender:

    • Direct case: on (he)

    • Indirect case: njevo (his)

  • Feminine gender:

    • Direct case: ona (she)

    • Indirect case: njejo (her)

Plural:

  • Direct case: oni (they)

  • Indirect case: nih (their)

Examples of using pronouns in sentences

1st person:

  • Direct case: Ja govorit (I speak)

  • Indirect case: Oni vidjet mjenje (They see me)

2nd person:

  • Direct case: Tǐ čitat (You read)

  • Indirect case: Ja pomogat tjebje (I help you)

  • Direct case (polite): Vǐ govorit (You speak)

  • Indirect case (polite): They are listening to you (They are listening to you)

3rd person:

  • Direct case (masculine): On idti (He is coming)

  • Indirect case (masculine): : Ja zvonit njevo, Ja zvonit na njevo (I call him)

  • Direct case (feminine): Ona pisat (She writes)

  • Indirect case (feminine): Oni smotrjet njejo, Oni smotrjet na njejo (They are looking at her)

  • Direct case (plural):  Oni igrat (They are playing)

  • Indirect case (plural): Ja govorit s nih (I speak to them)

Possessive form of personal pronouns

1st person:

  • Direct case:

    • Singular: ja (I)

    • Plural: mǐ (we)

  • Indirect case:

    • Singular: mjenje (me)

    • Plural: nas (us)

  • Possessive form:

    • Singular: u-mjenje (my, mine)

    • Plural: u-nas (our, ours)

2nd person:

  • Direct case:

    • Singular: tǐ (you), Vǐ (you)

    • Plural: vǐ (you)

  • Oblique case:

    • Singular: tjebje (you), Vas (you)

    • Plural: vas (you)

  • Possessive form:

    • Singular: u-tjebje (your, yours ), u-Vas (your, yours)

    • Plural: u-vas (your, yours, yours, yours)

3rd person:

  • Direct case:

    • Singular, masculine: on (he)

    • Singular, feminine: ona (she)

    • Plural: oni (they)

  • Oblique case:

    • Singular, masculine: njevo (his)

    • Singular, feminine: njejo (her)

    • Plural: nih (their)

  • Possessive form:

    • Singular, masculine: u-njevo (his)

    • Singular, feminine: u-njejo (her)

    • Plural: u-nih (their)

Examples of using possessive forms in sentences:

  1. 1st person:

    • Eto dom-u-mjenje. (This is my home)

    • This is my book.

    • Eto delo-u-nas. (This is our business)

    • Eto universitet-u-nas. (This is our university).

  2. 2nd person:

    • Eto stol-u-tjebje. (This is your table)

    • Eto učitelj-u-tjebje. (This is your teacher.)

    • Eto delo-u-Vas. (It's your business)

    • Eto komanda-u-vas. (This is your team)

  3. 3rd person:

    • Eto kniga-u-njevo. (This is his book)

    • Eto sumka-u-njejo. (This is her bag.)

    • Eto delo-u-njevo. (It's his business)

    • Eto dom-u-nih. (This is their home)

Short answers using possessive forms:

  1. Eto dom u Anton Antonovič?(Is this Anton Antonovich's house? )

    • Da, u-njejo.  (Yes, it is.)

Examples of sentences with the preposition "u":

  1. Eto čjej dom? (Whose house is this? )

    • Eto dom u Anton Antonovič. (This is Anton Antonovich's house).

    • Da, eto dom-u-njevo. (Yes, this is his house)

Review:

  • Personal pronouns change according to direct and indirect case.

  • Possessive forms of personal pronouns are formed by combining the preposition "u" and the oblique case.

  • In short answers, the possessive form is used separately.

  • In compound words, the possessive form comes after the word denoting the object of possession and is separated by a hyphen.