Determinatives / Determinativ

3.4 Reflexive Possessives

For each third person subject there are two different possessives:

Sin/si/sitt/sine is called the “reflexive possessive” and always refers back to the subject of the same clause.

Birgit skriver brev til bestemora si.  Birgit is writing to her grandmother.
(“sin” = “her” and refers to Birgit, the subject.  Birgit is writing to her own grandmother).

Kyrre liker ikke læreren sin.  Kyrre doesn’t like his teacher.
(“sin” = “his” and refers to Kyrre, the subject.  Kyrre doesn’t like his own teacher.

De maler huset sitt.  They are painting their (own) house.
(“sitt” = “their” and refers to “de”, the subject.  They are painting their own house.