Language/Javanese/Grammar/Possessive-Pronouns

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Javanese → Grammar → 0 to A1 Course → Nouns and Pronouns → Possessive Pronouns

Introduction

In this lesson, you will learn about Javanese possessive pronouns and how to use them in sentences to express ownership or possession. Possessive pronouns are used to replace noun phrases that indicate ownership, such as "my car" or "their house." By using a possessive pronoun, you can avoid repeating the noun phrase, making your sentences more concise and natural. Possessive pronouns are an essential part of Javanese grammar, and mastering them will help you to describe your possessions and relationships more accurately.

Take a moment to explore these relevant pages as you conclude this lesson: Questions and Negations & How to Use Be.

Possessive Pronouns

In Javanese, possessive pronouns are formed by adding a possessive suffix to the personal pronouns. The possessive suffixes indicate the possession or ownership of the noun they are attached to. Here are the Javanese possessive suffixes:

Possessive Suffix	Example	English Translation
ku	mobilku	my car
mu	mobilmu	your car
ne	mobilne	his/her car
kita	mobilkita	our car
kalian	mobilkalian	your (plural) car
nira	mobilnira	their car

Notice that the suffix "nira" is used for both masculine and feminine third-person plural pronouns. There is no gender distinction in the Javanese language for the third-person plural pronoun.

However, if a gender distinction is necessary, Javanese speakers typically add a gender-specific word after the possessive pronoun, such as "temenku wadon" (my female friend) or "temenku lanang" (my male friend).

Here are some examples of possessive pronouns in use:

Mobilku wis durung muter. ("My car hasn't been turned on yet.")

Mobilmu wis rong minggu duduk ing garasi. ("Your car has been sitting in the garage for two weeks.")

Mobilne abang nang nduwur. ("His red car is up there.")

Mbe-mbe mobilkita kok lagi roboh, wes golek ing cithakan. ("If our car keeps breaking down, we'll have to look for another one.")

Mobilkalian wis ditukar ing bengkel iku? ("Have you guys already had your car repaired in that garage?")

Mobilnira apik banget! ("Their car is really nice!")

It is also possible to use a possessive pronoun in a sentence without specifying the noun being possessed. In this case, the meaning is usually clear from context. Here are some examples:

Kulawarga sedhep kéndi; ku isih karo nyong. ("The family's teapot is beautiful; it's still with me.")

Wit sing metu saka kamahasané, suluk tekane aku wae. ("What came out of his power, only his shadow is with me.")

Possessive Pronouns vs. Possessive Adjectives

In Javanese, you can use both possessive pronouns and possessive adjectives to indicate ownership or possession. While both constructions are grammatically correct, there is a difference in usage and meaning.

Possessive adjectives are used to describe the owner of the noun, while possessive pronouns are used to indicate the ownership of the noun itself. Here is an example to illustrate the difference:

ora kujojo taneningku. ("It's not my chicken, it's my sibling's.")

In this sentence, the word "kujojo" is a possessive adjective, meaning "my sibling's." It describes the owner of the chicken, not the chicken itself.

Compare this to the following sentence:

Ora kujojo, tanênipun watara tekané. ("It's not my sibling's, its chicken is under the bed.")

Here, the word "tanênipun" is a possessive pronoun, meaning "its chicken." It indicates the ownership of the noun "chicken."

It is important to note that possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns must agree with the number and gender of the noun they are modifying. Here are some examples:

mobilku ("my car") vs. sepedaku ("my bike")
bukune ("her book") vs. sumarené ("his car")
loro aku ("both of my") vs. kasetmu ("your cassette tape")

Remember that Javanese has a rich system of politeness levels, and the choice of possessive pronoun or possessive adjective can depend on the speaker's relationship with the listener, as well as the social context of the conversation. In general, possessive pronouns are more common in casual speech, while possessive adjectives are more common in formal settings.

Conclusion

In this lesson, you have learned about Javanese possessive pronouns and their usage. Remember that possessive pronouns are used to avoid repeating noun phrases, indicating ownership or possession of a particular noun. They are an important part of Javanese grammar and will help you to describe your possessions and relationships with greater accuracy. In the next lesson, you will learn about Javanese family and relationship terms.

Table of Contents - Javanese Course - 0 to A1

Course Presentation

Greetings and Introductions

Sentence Structure

Numbers and Time

Nouns and Pronouns

Family and Relationships

Verbs and Tenses

Food and Drinks

Adjectives and Adverbs

Travel and Transportation

Prepositions and Conjunctions

Javanese Customs and Etiquette

Other Lessons

Sources

Javanese Grammar | LEARN101.ORG

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