What is the difference between ‘у тебя’ and ‘твой’?

Question

У тебя торт / Твой торт
У меня пирог / Мой пирог

What is the difference?

"А: Где мой пирог? Б: У меня твой пирог." A: Where is my pie? B: I have your pie. — Artemix, Oct 03 '14 at 10:22
See also Possessive constructions: “мой” vs. “у меня”. — Artemix, Oct 03 '14 at 10:25

score 2 · Accepted Answer · answered Oct 03 '14 at 15:29

2

У тебя торт = you have a/the cake

Твой торт = your cake

answered Oct 03 '14 at 15:29

user31264

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Sir, then У тебя есть also same.. no? – Joy Hyuk Lee Oct 04 '14 at 00:15
@Lee yes, that's right. – user31264 Oct 04 '14 at 06:07

score 2 · Answer 2 · answered Oct 06 '14 at 07:22

Lee, In phrase using У тебя - is important that action happen with you, so if it's question, I am interested in your situation. In phrase using Твой is important the fact of possession.

У тебя пирог сгорел - You have burned the cake (I smell smoke in your flat)

Я съел твой пирог, извини - I ate your cake, sorry (It was your cake, not mine, but I ate it)

У тебя есть друг? - Do you have a friend? (You, personally, do you have relations of friendships with someone?)

Твой друг придет к нам на вечеринку? - Is your friend going to join our party? (It's your friend, so I ask you about him)

Shortly, you don't use У тебя пирог in sense Твой пирог. It's not the same.

Hope, it helps

What is the difference between ‘у тебя’ and ‘твой’?

2 Answers2