Possessive pronouns (мой, твой, наш, ваш)

Matching the Noun's Gender

In Russian, possessive pronouns like "my" or "our" act like adjectives. They must match the gender of the noun they describe—the thing being owned, not the person who owns it.

MeaningMasculineFeminineNeuter
Myмоймоямоё
Your (informal)твойтвоятвоё
Ourнашнашанаше
Your (formal/plural)вашвашаваше

"My" and "Our" (мой, наш)

Use the forms of мой and наш to talk about things belonging to you or your group. Notice how the ending changes to match whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or neuter.

This is my family.
Это моя семья.
Our family is at home.
Наша семья дома.
My seat and my notebook are there.
Моё место и моя тетрадь там.

Two Ways to Say "Your" (твой, ваш)

Russian has two words for "your", just like it has two ways to say "you":

  • Use the forms of твой when talking to one person you know well (friends, family, children).
  • Use the forms of ваш when talking to multiple people, or to one person in a formal setting (colleagues, strangers, elders).
Is your (informal) computer new?
Твой компьютер новый?
Is this your (informal) letter?
Это твоё письмо?
Your (formal) friend is here.
Ваш друг здесь.
Your (formal) seat is here.
Ваше место здесь.