Свој: One's Own

Свој is the reflexive possessive. It means "one's own" and always points back to the subject of its clause. It declines like мој: свој, своја, своје, своју, свог(а), свом(е), својим, својом, својој, својих…

After quantified subjects such as сваки, свака, свако, сви, нико, Serbian must use свој. The ordinary possessives његов, њен, њихов would point to some other person:

• Сваки отац воли своје дете. (Every father loves his own child.)
• Сваки отац воли његово дете. (Every father loves his child, meaning some other man's.)

Свој agrees with the thing owned, not with the owner: Свака жена има свој посао (feminine owner, masculine noun). The same word works for every owner: Сви су донели своје књиге. (Everyone brought their books.)