What is it?
The possesive pronouns are personal pronouns demonstrating ownership eg: my, your, his, etc.
| Da | En | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Sing | |||||
| minmy/mine | pron en | ||||
| mitmy/mine | pron et | ||||
| minemy/mine | pron plur | ||||
| 2nd Sing | |||||
| dinyour(s) | pron en | ||||
| dityour(s) | pron et | ||||
| dineyour(s) | pron plur | ||||
| 3rd Sing | |||||
| hanshis | pron | ||||
| hendesher(s) | pron | ||||
| densits | pron en | ||||
| detsits | pron et | ||||
| sinhis/hers/its | pron en | ||||
| reflexive possesive pronoun | |||||
| sithis/hers/its | pron et | ||||
| reflexive possesive pronoun | |||||
| sinehis/hers/its | pron plur | ||||
| reflexive possesive pronoun | |||||
| 1st Plur | |||||
| voresour(s) | pron | ||||
| 2nd Plur | |||||
| jeresyour(s) | pron | ||||
| 3rd Plur | |||||
| derestheir(s) | pron | ||||
The Rules
Only min, din and sin change according to the noun class and number (sing or plur) of the object.
All the other possesive pronouns remain the same regardless of noun class and number.
| Singular | Plural | |
|---|---|---|
| Common (en) | min/din/sin [obj] | mine/dine/sine [obj] |
| Neuter (et) | mit/dit/sit [obj] |
Please note!
dens and dets
The noun class indication for dens and dets does not refer to the object but to the subject itself.
Please consider the following: Hundens legetøj (The dog's toy). Rewrite that and it will become dens legetøj (its toy). As hund is Common noun class (en) you use den not det.
Also note!
The Reflexive Possesive Pronoun - sin, sit and sine
You use these pronouns when you refer back to the subject in the sentence. Consider the following: Mette lagde sine bøger på bordet (Mette put her books on the table).
This means that Mette is putting her own books down. If it had said: Mette lagde hendes bøger på stolen it would refer to another girl's books.
Examples
| Da | En | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mine | |||||
| Min bilMy car | |||||
| Yours | |||||
| Din bilYou car | |||||
| Mit husMy house | |||||
| Dit husYour house | |||||
| Jeres husYour house | |||||
| Plural | |||||
| Mine pengeMy money | |||||
| Dine pengeYour money | |||||
| Vores børnOur children | |||||
| Deres huseTheir houses | |||||
| His and hers | |||||
| Hans kæresteHis girlfriend | |||||
| Hendes kæresteHer boyfriend | |||||
| Dens and dets | |||||
| Dens legetøjIts toy | |||||
| When refering to a dog ('en hunds legetøj') | |||||
| Dets boIts habitat | |||||
| When refering to a bug ('et insekts bo') | |||||
| Sin, sit and sine | |||||
| Maria lagde sine bøger på bordetSusan put her books on the table | |||||
| Refering to her own books | |||||
| Susan så Maria lægge sine bøger på bordetSusan saw Maria put her books on the table | |||||
| Still refering to Maria's books | |||||
| Susan lagde hendes bøger på bordetSusan put her books on the table | |||||
| Now Susan is putting Maria's books on the table | |||||
| Drengen læser sin bogThe boy is reading his book | |||||
| Hunden spiser sit kødbenThe dog is eating its bone | |||||