Ways to say it
| Russian | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| име́ть | imétʹ |
| у меня́ | |
| у тебя́ |
While име́ть is the dictionary verb for to possess, it is rarely used in everyday Russian to say that you own or possess something. Instead, speakers use a construction involving у followed by a genitive pronoun to indicate possession.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase у меня́ literally translates to 'at me' or 'by me'.
Which one should you use?
име́ть is the infinitive form meaning to have or to possess. In spoken Russian, the constructions у меня́ (I have) and у тебя́ (you have) are the standard ways to express that someone possesses something.
How does it change in a sentence?
To express that you possess something, the construction у + genitive pronoun is often paired with the word есть (exists), such as in the phrase у меня́ есть.
How do you pronounce it?
imétʹ
What mistakes should you avoid?
Avoid using the direct translation я име́ю to say 'I have' for physical objects, as this sounds unnatural in most casual contexts.
Did you know?
- If you say я име́ю to mean 'I have' a physical object, you may sound like you are speaking in a highly formal legal document or, more commonly, like you are using an old-fashioned way to imply you 'have' a sexual encounter.
- If you want to say 'I had' in the past, the construction у меня́ был changes based on the gender of the object you possessed, not the person who owned it.
- The phrase име́ть can be used in the idiom име́ть в виду, which means 'to have in mind' or 'to mean'.
Examples in context
- У меня есть домI have a house
- У меня есть работаI have a job
- У меня есть автомобильI have a car
- У меня новая книгаI have a new book
- У меня день рожденияI have a birthday
- У меня сегодня выходнойI have a day off today
Sources
- Wiktionary, “have” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
