sinun

Sinun is a Finnish possessive pronoun meaning "your" or "yours" in English. It is the second-person singular possessive form of the personal pronoun sinä and functions in Finnish as both a possessive determiner before a noun and, in some constructions, as an independent possessive pronoun.

In standard Finnish, ownership is most commonly expressed with a possessive suffix on the noun itself (for example, talosi = your house, autosi = your car). The word sinun is therefore often avoided before a noun, used instead for emphasis, contrast, or when the noun is omitted. For example, you can say Se on sinun (That is yours) or Onko tämä sinun? (Is this yours?). When addressing multiple owners, teidän is used instead of sinun (for example, talonne = your [plural] house; se on teidän = that is yours [plural]).

Syntax and usage tips:

- Sinun normally refers to a single owner. For plural ownership, use teidän.

- Using sinun before a noun is possible but usually sounds formal or emphatic; the noun’s own possessive suffix (e.g., talosi, autosi) is more common in everyday speech.

- In colloquial Finnish, a shortened form sun is often used instead of sinun.

Etymology and related forms:

- Sinun derives from the personal pronoun sinä in the genitive form, and it dates to the early Finnic family of languages. It has cognates in other Finnic languages, such as Estonian sinu/sinu, reflecting shared history of possessive pronouns.

See also: Finnish pronouns, possessive construction in Finnish, teidän.