A possessive tells you who something belongs to. In this activity, Anna and Nikos look for their belongings. Read each line from the speaker’s point of view: the same book can be “my book” in Anna’s sentence and “your book” in Nikos’s reply. Keeping track of the speaker is more useful here than translating one word at a time.
Read the conversation
Η Άννα και ο Νίκος ψάχνουν τα πράγματά τους.
Άννα: Νίκο, πού είναι το βιβλίο μου;
Νίκος: Το βιβλίο σου είναι στο τραπέζι. Πού είναι η τσάντα μου;
Άννα: Η τσάντα σου είναι στην καρέκλα.
Νίκος: Και το κινητό της Μαρίας;
Άννα: Το κινητό της είναι εδώ.
Anna and Nikos are looking for their things. Anna asks where her book is. Nikos says it is on the table, then asks where his bag is. Anna says it is on the chair. Finally, they locate Maria’s phone: it is here.
Follow the owner
In το βιβλίο μου, μου means my. In το βιβλίο σου, σου means your when addressing one person informally. These short possessives follow the noun. Anna says μου because the book belongs to her; Nikos says σου because he is talking to Anna about that same book. The ownership has not changed.
Separate the owner from the object
Η τσάντα μου means my bag, while το βιβλίο μου means my book. The noun and its article change, but μου does not change to match the object’s gender. For the third person, το βιβλίο του Νίκου can become το βιβλίο του: his book. Το βιβλίο της Μαρίας can become το βιβλίο της: her book. Here του and της distinguish the owners, although βιβλίο stays the same.
Check the conversation
- Who owns the book: Anna or Nikos?
- Nikos addresses Anna: Το βιβλίο ___ είναι στο τραπέζι. Choose μου or σου.
- Anna addresses Nikos about his bag: Η τσάντα ___ είναι στην καρέκλα. Choose μου or σου.
- Replace της Μαρίας: Το κινητό ___ είναι εδώ.
Show the answers
1. Anna. 2. σου: Nikos addresses the owner. 3. σου: Anna addresses the owner. 4. της: the phone belongs to Maria.
Change the speaker
Say Το βιβλίο μου είναι εδώ as the owner. Then address that person and say Το βιβλίο σου είναι εδώ. Repeat with η τσάντα. Finally, introduce an absent owner by name before using του or της, so your listener knows whom you mean.
Continue with the possessive reference and practise talking about people in your family.