A1 Norwegian GrammarPossessive Adjectives
Express ownership in Norwegian with possessive adjectives (min, din, hans, hennes, vår, deres). Learn how possessives agree with the noun they modify and understand the two placement options: before or after the noun.
1Singular Possessives (min, din, sin)
Norwegian possessive adjectives must agree with the noun they describe, not with the owner. For singular nouns, use the base form with masculine nouns (min, din), add -a for feminine nouns (mi, di), and add -t for neuter nouns (mitt, ditt). 'Sin' is reflexive, meaning it refers back to the subject.
First and Second Person Singular
| Person | Masculine | Feminine | Neuter | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I (my) | min | mi | mitt | mine |
| you (your) | din | di | ditt | dine |
| reflexive (own) | sin | si | sitt | sine |
Examples
Det er min bil.
That is my car.
bil is masculine
Hvor er di bok?
Where is your book?
bok is feminine
Mitt hus er stort.
My house is big.
hus is neuter
Han tok med sin kone.
He brought his (own) wife.
sin = reflexive
2Third Person Possessives
For third person, Norwegian uses 'hans' (his), 'hennes' (her), and 'deres' (their). These forms do NOT change based on the noun - they stay the same for all genders and numbers. 'Dens' (its) is used for things, while 'hans/hennes' is used for people.
Third Person Possessives
| Person | Norwegian | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| his | hans | hans bil | his car |
| her | hennes | hennes hus | her house |
| its (common) | dens | dens farge | its color |
| its (neuter) | dets | dets navn | its name |
| their | deres | deres barn | their children |
Examples
Det er hans bror.
That is his brother.
hans doesn't change
Hennes foreldre bor i Bergen.
Her parents live in Bergen.
hennes = her
Deres barn er søte.
Their children are cute.
deres = their
Katten spiser dens mat.
The cat eats its food.
dens for things
3Plural Possessives (vår, deres)
For 'our', Norwegian uses 'vår' (masculine/feminine), 'vårt' (neuter), and 'våre' (plural). 'Deres' means both 'your' (formal/plural) and 'their'. In modern Norwegian, 'vår' is often used for all genders in casual speech.
First Person Plural (Our)
| Gender | Norwegian | Example | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| masculine | vår | vår hund | our dog |
| feminine | vår | vår datter | our daughter |
| neuter | vårt | vårt hjem | our home |
| plural | våre | våre venner | our friends |
Examples
Vår familie er stor.
Our family is big.
vår with feminine noun
Vårt land er vakkert.
Our country is beautiful.
vårt with neuter
Våre naboer er hyggelige.
Our neighbors are nice.
våre with plural
Er dette deres hus?
Is this your (formal) house?
deres = formal 'your'
4Possessive Position (Before or After Noun)
In Norwegian, possessives can come before OR after the noun. When placed after, the noun takes the definite form. After-placement is very common in spoken Norwegian and sounds natural. Both positions are grammatically correct.
Position Comparison
| Before Noun | After Noun | English |
|---|---|---|
| min bil | bilen min | my car |
| din søster | søsteren din | your sister |
| vårt hus | huset vårt | our house |
| mine venner | vennene mine | my friends |
Examples
Bilen min er rød.
My car is red.
possessive after definite noun
Broren din er hyggelig.
Your brother is nice.
natural spoken form
Huset vårt ligger ved sjøen.
Our house is by the sea.
huset = the house
Barna hennes går på skolen.
Her children go to school.
barna = the children