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Easy Croaan (rev. 47b) / 19 Your, Ana’s: Possessives 111 / 600
19 Your, Ana’s: Possessives
We know how to say the red apple, even my apple, but not your apple or Ana’s
apple. So, let’s learn it.
As I have already explained, words like my (or Ana’s) are simply adjectives in
Croatian (more accurately, possessive adjectives). They are not adjectives in English,
where you cannot say the my apple, but you can say the red apple. That’s one
example where Croatian is simpler than English.
As the rule, possessive adjectives never get the optional -i in masc. N.
Each possessive adjective corresponds to one pronoun. There are three sets of
pronouns with similar forms; the first set is:
pronoun possessive
ja I moj my
ti you (sg.) tvoj your
— svoj
All three end in -j, so they get -em and -eg instead of -om and -og, but, like moj, the
other two adjectives above have additional, shortened forms in neuter and
masculine genders as well:
alt. endings for moj, tvoj, svoj
masc. / neut. DL: -ojem = -om
masc. p/a A: -ojeg = -og
You can use them as any adjective:
Čekamo tvog brata A . We’re waiting for your brother.
Čekamo tvojeg brata A . (the same meaning)
Pišem poruku A tvojoj sestri DL . I’m writing a message to your sister.
pisati
The following two adjectives don’t have any special forms, they change as normal
adjectives (of course, since they end in an -š, they get -em and -eg in neuter and
masculine):
pronoun
mi we
vi you (pl./resp.)
possessive
naš our
vaš your (i.e. y’all’s)
The last set contains the 3rd person pronouns. Here Croatian does not distinguish
neuter from masculine possessive: