How to Use Greek Possessive Pronouns for English Speakers

Understanding Greek Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in Greek indicate ownership or possession, similar to English. They replace nouns to show who something belongs to, such as "mine," "yours," or "his." However, Greek possessive pronouns agree in gender, number, and case with the noun they refer to, which is different from English.

Why Are Greek Possessive Pronouns Important?

Using possessive pronouns correctly helps you speak and write Greek more naturally and clearly. They allow you to avoid repeating nouns and make your sentences more concise.

Forms of Greek Possessive Pronouns

Greek possessive pronouns change form based on the gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), number (singular, plural), and case (nominative, genitive, accusative) of the noun they replace. Below are the most common forms in the nominative case, which is used for the subject of a sentence.

Here are the singular forms for the first person (my/mine):

• ο δικός μου (masculine) – mine (masculine noun)
• η δική μου (feminine) – mine (feminine noun)
• το δικό μου (neuter) – mine (neuter noun)

Similarly, for the second person (your/yours):

• ο δικός σου (masculine) – yours (masculine noun)
• η δική σου (feminine) – yours (feminine noun)
• το δικό σου (neuter) – yours (neuter noun)

And for the third person (his/hers/its):

• ο δικός του (masculine) – his
• η δική της (feminine) – hers
• το δικό του (neuter) – its

Using Greek Possessive Pronouns in Sentences

Greek possessive pronouns are often used with the definite article (ο, η, το) and the possessive adjective (μου, σου, του, etc.) to emphasize possession. For example:

• Αυτό είναι το βιβλίο μου. (This is my book.)
• Το σπίτι σου είναι μεγάλο. (Your house is big.)
• Η τσάντα της είναι καινούργια. (Her bag is new.)

When replacing a noun, the possessive pronoun stands alone with the article and possessive adjective:

• Το δικό μου είναι κόκκινο. (Mine is red.)
• Η δική σου είναι μπλε. (Yours is blue.)
• Το δικό του είναι καινούργιο. (His is new.)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Greek and English Possessive Pronouns Comparison