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Use of swoj


posts: 20

kieThreads: 17
Posts: 28
Joined: Jun 4, 07 ♂ 		 Dec 7, 11, 23:19    #1
Hello.

I have never quite understood when to use swoj. I know it means 'one's own', but I can't see the difference between twoj so tend to use this all the time.

Could someone explain the difference and also give as many sentences as possible when swoj would be used.

Thanks, Kieron.
ReservoirDogThreads: -
Posts: 220
Joined: Nov 22, 11 ♀ 		Edited by: ReservoirDog  Dec 7, 11, 23:30    #2
but I can't see the difference between twoj so tend to use this all the time.

because you can use them interchangeably in most cases.
Daj mi swój/twój długopis,
Piszę moim/swoim długopisem;
Dam Ci mój/swój długopis

Sometimes not : „Każdy jest kowalem swojego losu”.
Lyzko  Dec 7, 11, 23:35    #3
On sprzędział SWÓJ dom. = He sold his [OWN] house. (...as opposed to someone else's!)

Bądź SWOJĄ panią! = Be your OWN woman! [...NOT somebody else! - Polish magazine ad slogan]

Dziękuję za SWOJE zaproszenie! = Thank you for your [formal 'you' vs. TWOJE or familiar 'you']


Examples are probably more transparent for learning and understanding its usage than long-winded explanations-:) A number of other European languages have this structure as well, notably the three Scandinavian languages, Swedish, Danish and (Standard) Norwegian aka 'Bokmaal'.
kieThreads: 17
Posts: 28
Joined: Jun 4, 07 ♂ 		 Dec 7, 11, 23:56    #4
ReservoirDog:
Daj mi swój/twój długopis,
Piszę moim/swoim długopisem;
Dam Ci mój/swój długopis


Thanks. With these though, if I was to hear dam ci swój długopis I wouldn't know if you mean't mine or yours? Obviously I would however if you said dam ci twoj/moj.
ReservoirDogThreads: -
Posts: 220
Joined: Nov 22, 11 ♀ 		 Dec 8, 11, 00:03    #5
You can say "Spotkał się ze swoją żoną" (he met his own wife ;)) or "Spotkał się z zoną" - but you don't know whether it's his own or somebody else wife :)
You can change words "swój, swoja, swojego etc" on " mój/mojego, twój/twojego, wasz/waszego, nasz/naszego". But try to use as often as possible first form (swój, swojego)...it sound more natural in polish.
ReservoirDogThreads: -
Posts: 220
Joined: Nov 22, 11 ♀ 		Edited by: ReservoirDog  Dec 8, 11, 00:13    #6
Dam Ci swój długopis - I will give you my own - always :) but in this sentence it doesn't matter to whom the pencil belong. If you want to put strong accent on it, to whom it belong say mój or twój.
I + swój = my own,
Ty + swój = your own (or verb in proper form: mam swój - my own, masz swój - your own.)
strzygaThreads: 4
Posts: 986
Joined: Apr 30, 08 ♀ 		 Dec 9, 11, 01:56    #7
Lyzko:
On sprzędział SWÓJ dom.

he did what?

Lyzko:
Dziękuję za SWOJE zaproszenie! = Thank you for your [formal 'you' vs. TWOJE or familiar 'you']

wha...?

Lyzko:
Examples are probably more transparent for learning and understanding its usage than long-winded explanations-:)

yeah... given they're correct examples. Sorry, these are not.
Lyzko  Dec 9, 11, 14:17    #8
Better examples indeed would have been for the first:


On lubi swój (as opposed to "jego") dom.
Ona czyta swój (not "jej") dziennik. [..rather than someone else's daily]
etc...
gumishuThreads: 17
Posts: 3,943
Joined: Apr 6, 09  Pictures: 1 ♂ 		 Dec 9, 11, 14:53    #9
Lyzko:
On lubi swój (as opposed to "jego") dom.
Ona czyta swój (not "jej") dziennik. [..rather than someone else's daily]
etc...


nemo iudex in causa sua not nemo iudex in causa eius - Polish is similar to Latin in that respect - http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110722165023AAPLl4W
ZiemowitThreads: 10
Posts: 1,063
Joined: May 8, 09 ♂ 		 Dec 9, 11, 15:37    #10
Disce puer Latinae, a ja cię zrobię mocium panem...
ZiemowitThreads: 10
Posts: 1,063
Joined: May 8, 09 ♂ 		Edited by: Ziemowit  Dec 9, 11, 15:49    #11
The link provided by Gumishu explains it very well: Suus/sua/suum [Swój/swoja/swoje] means the thing belongs to the subject.
Lyzko  Dec 9, 11, 16:15    #12
Cf. Swedish: Han tog HANS hat och gick HANS vag. (nonsense!)
Han tog SIN hat och gick SIN vag. (logical and correct)
ryanbThreads: 28
Posts: 28
Joined: Apr 27, 11 ♂ 		Edited by: ryanb  Dec 26, 11, 12:42    #13
Merged: moj vs swoj

I'm using Rosetta stone to try to improve my vocabulary. I think I understand how moja and twój are used, but I see swój and swoja used in first, second and third person. What is the rationale behind this usage?

Example- Kocham swoją matkę. I thought swoja was his/her, not my.

Also what is the difference between swojego and jego/jej?
mafketisThreads: 17
Posts: 1,880
Joined: Mar 31, 08 ♂ 		 Dec 26, 11, 13:41    #14
ryanb:
Kocham swoją matkę. I thought swoja was his/her, not my.


swój = possessive of the subject of the sentence.

I love swoją matkę : subect = I so swój = my

On the other hand this is only rigidly maintained in the third person, a lot of people would also say "kocham moją matkę"
VincentThreads: 15
Posts: 1,706
Joined: Sep 9, 07 ♂ [Moderator] 		 Dec 26, 11, 14:23    #15
mafketis:
swój = possessive of the subject of the sentence.


That's it in a nutshell.

two examples for ryanb

When a man loves his wife, you should say On kocha swoją żonę. If you say On kocha jego żonę, it means the man loves somebody else's wife

when a woman loves her husband, you should say, Ona kocha swojego męża. If you say Ona kocha jej męża, it means she loves somebody else's husband.

Hopes this helps.
SzwedwPolsceThreads: 13
Posts: 1,915
Joined: Feb 21, 09 ♂ 		Edited by: SzwedwPolsce  Dec 26, 11, 15:28    #16
Swój is the "possessive object" of the subject. It always refers to the "thing" that the subject possesses.

In 1st and 2nd person it's possible to use twój, mój etc. instead of swój. However in 3rd person it's sometimes necessary to use swój, to avoid misunderstandings. (See Vincent's post above.)


Lubię swoje buty. = I like my shoes.
Czy lubisz swoje buty? = Do you like your shoes?
On lubi swoje buty. = He likes his shoes.
Lubimy swoje buty. = We like our shoes.
Oni lubią swoje buty. = They like their shoes.



Swój is declined as an adjective, with the same endings. (Just like twój, mój etc.)

Czy kochasz swoją żonę? = Do you love your wife?
On nie lubi swojego samochodu. = He doesn't like his car.
Zman  Dec 27, 11, 05:38    #17
Szwed in PL i s my hero...

and do not forget about contractions... e.g swojego turns into swego, sometimes, etc!
ryanbThreads: 28
Posts: 28
Joined: Apr 27, 11 ♂ 		 Dec 27, 11, 14:47    #18
Thanks a lot. I understand it now.
Polish has proved a lot more difficult than I had expected, which just makes me that much more determined to master it.
Big D  Jan 18, 12, 08:07    #19
Lyzko:
Dziękuję za SWOJE zaproszenie! = Thank you for your [formal 'you' vs. TWOJE or familiar 'you']

Haha, did you mail zaproszenie to yourself?No,dude if you recived an invitation you say Dziekuje za TWOJE zaproszenie.
mafketisThreads: 17
Posts: 1,880
Joined: Mar 31, 08 ♂ 		 Jan 18, 12, 16:30    #20
Big D:
you recived an invitation you say Dziekuje za TWOJE zaproszenie.


Although 'dziękuję za zaproszenie' (with no possessive) is about a hundred times more common IME.


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