Possessive Pronouns
Possessive pronouns in Norwegian agree with the noun they modify in gender and number. Possessives follow the noun with double determination.
I can use possessive pronouns with correct gender agreement and double determination.
Look at these examples. Can you spot the grammar pattern?
Bilen min er rød.
My car is red.
Huset vårt er stort.
Our house is big.
Han vasker bilen sin.
He is washing his (own) car.
Pay attention to the highlighted parts. What do they have in common?
Eiendomsord
Eiendomsord bøyes etter substantivets kjønn og tall.
| Person | Hankjønn | Hunkjønn | Intetkjønn | Flertall |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. pers. sg. | min | mi | mitt | mine |
| 2. pers. sg. | din | di | ditt | dine |
| 3. pers. sg. m. | hans | |||
| 3. pers. sg. f. | hennes | |||
| 1. pers. pl. | vår | vår | vårt | våre |
| 2./3. pers. pl. | deres | |||
Dobbelt bestemmelse: Eiendomsordet følger etter substantivet i bestemt form: bilen min, huset mitt.
Sin/si/sitt/sine brukes når subjektet eier: Han vasker bilen sin. (sin = hans egen)
Don't say 'min bil' — noun must be definite: 'bilen min'. 'hans/hennes' are invariable. 'Sin' means the subject's own: 'Han tok bilen hans' = someone else's car!
Common Error Patterns
Missing double determination — possessive must follow definite noun (bilen min, not min bil)
Wrong possessive form for noun gender (mitt with masculine, mi with neuter, etc.)
Bilen min er rød.
My car is red.
Masculine noun 'bil' takes definite form 'bilen' + possessive 'min' after it.
Huset vårt er stort.
Our house is big.
Neuter noun 'hus' → 'huset' (definite) + 'vårt' (neuter form of vår).
Han vasker bilen sin.
He is washing his (own) car.
'Sin' = reflexive possessive, referring back to the subject. 'bilen hans' would mean someone else's car.
Practice in course
Apply this grammar in A1 course exercises