This lesson introduces Polish possessive pronouns (zaimki dzierżawcze) like mój, twoja, jego, and nasza, focusing on their agreement with gender and number in nominative case to express ownership clearly.
  1. Possessive pronouns are words that indicate ownership and agree with the noun in terms of gender, number, and case.
  2. The form of the pronoun changes depending on the case – here, the forms in the nominative are presented.
Osoba (Person)Rodzaj męski (masculine gender)Rodzaj żeński (feminine gender)Rodzaj nijaki (neuter gender)Liczba mnoga (plural)
Ja (I)mój (my)moja (my)moje (my)moi / moje (my)
Ty (you)twój (your)twoja (your)twoje (your)twoi / twoje (yours)
On / Ono (He / It)jego (his)jego (his)jego (his)jego (his)
Ona (her)jej (I)jej (I)jej (I)jej (I)
My (My)nasz (our)nasza (our)nasze (our)nasi / nasze (our / ours)
Wy (You)wasz (your)wasza (your)wasze (your)wasi / wasze (your)
Oni / One (They)ich (person)ich (person)ich (person)ich (person)

Exceptions!

  1. If the thing the speaker is talking about belongs to the owner (in the sentence – the subject), then we use the pronoun "swój" (swoja, swoje, ...).
  2. It should be remembered that the forms jego, jej, and ich are invariable and do not change according to cases.

Exercise 1: Zaimki dzierżawcze

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

wasze, Jej, Twój, Ich, mój, Jego, Moja, nasi

1.
... siostra ma na imię Magda.
(My sister's name is Magda.)
2.
To są ...dziadkowie.
(These are our grandparents.)
3.
... dziecko jest małe.
(That child is small.)
4.
... brat jest żonaty.
(Your brother is married.)
5.
... rodzina mieszka w Polsce.
(His family lives in Poland.)
6.
... syn ma dziewięć lat.
(Her son is nine years old.)
7.
Możecie powtórzyć ... imiona?
(Can you repeat your names?)
8.
To jest ... telefon
(This is my phone)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. To jest mój brat i to są _____ książki.

(This is my brother and these are _____ books.)

2. Ona opiekuje się _____ babcią.

(She takes care of _____ grandmother.)

3. Proszę, weź _____ torbę.

(Please, take _____ bag.)

4. Mój tata lubi _____ pracę.

(My dad likes _____ work.)

5. To są nasze dzieci, a to są _____ zabawki.

(These are our children, and these are _____ toys.)

6. Widzisz moją siostrę? To jest _____ rower.

(Do you see my sister? This is _____ bike.)

Possessive Pronouns in Polish

This lesson introduces possessive pronouns in Polish, focusing on how they indicate ownership or belonging. Possessive pronouns agree with the noun they refer to in gender, number, and case. Here, we focus on the nominative case forms.

Understanding Possessive Pronoun Forms

Possessive pronouns change depending on the person (first, second, third), gender (masculine, feminine, neuter), and number (singular, plural). For example:

  • Ja (I): mój (masculine), moja (feminine), moje (neuter), moi / moje (plural)
  • Ty (you singular): twój, twoja, twoje, twoi / twoje
  • On / Ono (he / it): jego (unchanging)
  • Ona (she): jej (unchanging)

The forms for third-person singular and plural possessives like jego, jej, and ich do not change according to gender or number.

The Special Pronoun "swój"

When the thing owned belongs to the subject of the sentence, Polish uses the reflexive possessive pronoun swój (swoja, swoje). It replaces possessive pronouns like mój, twój, jej, jego to reflect ownership by the subject.

Key Points

  • Possessive pronouns must match the noun they describe in gender, number, and case.
  • The pronouns jego, jej, and ich are indeclinable—they do not change form.
  • "Swój" is used to indicate possession by the subject of the sentence and changes form according to gender and number.

Common Examples

  • To jest mój brat i to są jego książki. (This is my brother and these are his books.)
  • Ona opiekuje się swoją babcią. (She takes care of her grandma.)
  • Proszę, weź swoją torbę. (Please, take your bag.)
  • Mój tata lubi swoją pracę. (My dad likes his work.)
  • To są nasze dzieci, a to są ich zabawki. (These are our children, and those are their toys.)
  • Widzisz moją siostrę? To jest jej rower. (Do you see my sister? This is her bike.)

Differences Between English and Polish Possessive Pronouns

In English, possessive pronouns do not change according to gender or number of the noun possessed. For example, "my" stays the same whether you say "my book" or "my books." In Polish, however, possessive pronouns must agree in gender and number with the noun they modify, which requires learning different forms like mój, moja, moje for masculine, feminine, and neuter respectively.

Also, Polish has the unique reflexive possessive pronoun swój, which has no direct English equivalent. "Swój" is used when the owner is the subject of the sentence, and it replaces other possessive pronouns to clarify ownership.

Useful Polish Words and Phrases Related to Ownership

  • mój / moja / moje – my
  • twój / twoja / twoje – your (singular)
  • jego – his
  • jej – her
  • nasz / nasza / nasze – our
  • wasz / wasza / wasze – your (plural)
  • ich – their
  • swój / swoja / swoje – reflexive possessive pronoun (own)

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Joanna Majchrowska

Master of Spanish Philology

University of Lodz

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Poland


Last Updated:

Wednesday, 15/10/2025 21:39