Three ways to express possession or association
Russian distributes English 'possessive' meanings across genitive noun phrases, у + genitive constructions, and a restricted class of possessive adjectives.
- The choices differ in syntax, productivity, focus, and register; they are not interchangeable in every context.
| Strategy | Example | Typical function |
|---|---|---|
| genitive noun | кни́га А́нны | productive possessor/reference |
| у + genitive | У А́нны есть кни́га. | possession/existence |
| -ин adjective | ма́мина кни́га | individual/familiar association |
| proper-name -ин | Ма́шина кни́га | Masha's book; capitalised |
| animal -ий | ли́сий хвост | characteristic/individual animal relation |
Read the model
3.18 · Three ways to express possession or association · table 1
genitive noun · кни́га А́нны · productive possessor/referenceу + genitive · У А́нны есть кни́га. · possession/existenceMini-check
Give two natural ways to express 'Anna's book'. Does у А́нны modify кни́га as an adjective?
Apply this next
- Say the Russian examples aloud, cover the model, and retrieve the pattern once before continuing.