his / her / its / their own
Used for a third-person possessor and agrees with the possessed noun, not with the possessor.
a găsit cartea sa
he/she found his/her own book
în casa sa
in his/her own house
prietenii săi
his/her friends
#31 · Determiner / article · DET
In Romanian, său means “his / her / its / their own”. It’s the #31 most frequently used Romanian word. Below you’ll find how to use it, its forms, real example sentences, and common word pairings.
Possessive determiner meaning 'his/her/its/their own' in the third person. It agrees with the noun it modifies in gender and number, and usually refers back to the subject of the clause.
neutralUsed for a third-person possessor and agrees with the possessed noun, not with the possessor.
he/she found his/her own book
in his/her own house
his/her friends
Ranked by how often each form shows up in spoken Romanian. The top form cover about 94% of everyday use — learn these first.
| masc. sg. | său | Before a singular masculine noun: al său = his own. |
|---|---|---|
| fem. sg. | sa | Before a singular feminine noun. |
| masc. pl. | săi | Before a plural masculine or mixed-gender noun. |
| fem. pl. | sale | Before a plural feminine noun. |
vs. lui / ei
lui / ei usually show possession after the noun or with a stronger explicit possessor; său is an adjectival possessive that agrees with the noun.
cartea sa / cartea lui
his/her own book / his book
vs. al său
al său is the full form used especially when the possessive stands alone or for emphasis.
Cartea este a sa / Cartea este a lui
The book is his/her own / The book is his
A uitat cheile sale acasă.
He/She forgot his/her keys at home.
sale - Plural feminine/masculine noun agreement.
În casa sa se simte liniștit.
In his/her house, he/she feels calm.
sa - Singular feminine noun agreement.
Și-a vizitat părinții săi.
He/She visited his/her parents.
săi - Plural masculine or mixed-group agreement.