Personal Pronouns
Personal Pronouns (Nominative Case)
| Russian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| я | ya | I |
| ты | ty | you (informal, singular) |
| он | on | he / it (masc.) |
| она | a-NA | she / it (fem.) |
| оно | a-NO | it (neuter) |
| мы | my | we |
| вы | vy | you (formal/plural) |
| они | a-NI | they |
💡 Вы (capital V) is the formal “you” — used with strangers, elders, and in professional settings. ты is for friends, family, and children.
Pronouns in Sentences
Russian often drops the pronoun when the subject is clear from context (like Spanish/Italian):
- Я читаю (ya chi-TA-yu). → Читаю (chi-TA-yu). (I read / I’m reading)
Possessive Pronouns
| Russian | Pronunciation | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| мой / моя / моё / мои | moy / ma-YA / ma-YO / ma-EE | my (m/f/n/pl) |
| твой / твоя / твоё / твои | tvoy / tva-YA / tva-YO / tva-EE | your (informal) |
| его | ye-VO | his / its |
| её | ye-YO | her / its |
| наш / наша / наше / наши | nash / NA-sha / NA-she / NA-shi | our |
| ваш / ваша / ваше / ваши | vash / VA-sha / VA-she / VA-shi | your (formal/plural) |
| их | ikh | their |
Practice
When do you use вы instead of ты?
With strangers, in formal situations, with elders, or when addressing multiple people
What is 'my' in Russian (masculine noun)?
мой (e.g. мой дом = my house)
Translate: Это её книга.
This is her book. *(EH-ta ye-YO KNEEga)*