они

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word они. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word они, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say они in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word они you have here. The definition of the word они will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofони, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

Macedonian

Etymology

Ultimately from Proto-Slavic *onъ.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key):
  • Hyphenation: о‧ни

Pronoun

о́ни (óni)

  1. (dialectal) they
    Synonym: (standard) ти́е (tíe)

References

  • они” in Дигитален речник на македонскиот јазик (Digitalen rečnik na makedonskiot jazik) − drmj.eu

Nanai

Etymology

From Proto-Tungusic *uńi.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /oɲi/
  • Hyphenation: о‧ни

Noun

они (oni)

  1. mountain river

Derived terms

References

  • S. N. Onenko (1980) “они”, in V. A. Avrorina, editor, Нанайско-русский словарь , Русский язык

Russian

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Old East Slavic они (oni), from Proto-Slavic *onъ.

The prefixation of /n/ after prepositions comes from Proto-Slavic prepositions such as *sъ(n) (with) (compare Ancient Greek σύν (sún) and Latin cum), that originally ended in *-n and governed oblique cases. Since the prepositions and the pronouns occurred together so often, it was easy to lose track of which word the final *-n belonged to, and so it was reinterpreted as part of the pronouns; compare Old English an, which was reinterpreted in the same way. Proto-Slavic *sъ(n) *jьmi became modern Russian с ни́ми (s ními), and this rule was extended to all prepositions governing any third-person pronoun.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key):
  • Audio:(file)
  • Rhymes: -i

Pronoun

они́ (oní)

  1. (the third-person plural) they
  2. (the third-person singular, usually humorous, ,, colloquial, , or dated) they
  3. (the third-person singular, gender-neutral, proscribed) they

Usage notes

  • An н is prefixed to any third-person pronoun in an oblique case whenever a preposition that directly governs it is immediately in front of it: от неё (ot nejó) (from her), на нём (na njom) (on him), у них (u nix) (they have), к нему́ (k nemú) (to him), с не́ю (s néju) (with her).
  • When the preposition does not directly govern его́, её, их (jevó, jejó, ix) (i.e., when they are possessive pronouns), then no н- is inserted: у его́ бра́та (u jevó bráta) (at his brother’s), о её ма́тери (o jejó máteri) (about her mother), в их ко́мнате (v ix kómnate) (in their room).
  • While Russian does not have an official pronoun for non-binary individuals, some have claimed the usage of они (oni) as an equivalent to the singular they in English.

Declension

Declension of Russian personal pronouns
singular plural reflexive
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
m n f
nominative я
(ja)
ты
(ty)
он
(on)
оно́
(onó)
она́
(oná)
мы
(my)
вы
(vy)
они́1
(oní)
genitive меня́
(menjá)
тебя́
(tebjá)
его́2, него́2 3
(jevó, nevó)
её4, неё3 4
(jejó, nejó)
нас
(nas)
вас
(vas)
их, них3
(ix, nix)
себя́
(sebjá)
dative мне
(mne)
тебе́
(tebé)
ему́, нему́3
(jemú, nemú)
ей, ней3
(jej, nej)
нам
(nam)
вам
(vam)
им, ним3
(im, nim)
себе́
(sebé)
accusative меня́
(menjá)
тебя́
(tebjá)
его́2, него́2 3
(jevó, nevó)
её, неё3
(jejó, nejó)
нас
(nas)
вас
(vas)
их, них3
(ix, nix)
себя́
(sebjá)
instrumental мной, мно́ю5
(mnoj, mnóju)
тобо́й, тобо́ю5
(tobój, tobóju)
им, ним3
(im, nim)
ей, ней3, е́ю5, не́ю3 5
(jej, nej, jéju, néju)
на́ми
(námi)
ва́ми
(vámi)
и́ми, ни́ми3
(ími, ními)
собо́й, собо́ю5
(sobój, sobóju)
prepositional 6 мне
(mne)
тебе́
(tebé)
нём3
(njom)
ней3
(nej)
нас
(nas)
вас
(vas)
них3
(nix)
себе́
(sebé)
  1. Archaic feminine form: оне́ (oné).
  2. The letter г (g) in the genitive/accusative case ending is pronounced as /v/.
  3. The alternative forms starting with н- (n-) are used after a preposition.
  4. Archaic forms: ея́ (jejá), нея́ (nejá).
  5. Instrumental forms ending in (-ju) are either dated, poetic, or dialectal.
  6. The prepositional case is never used without a preposition.
Pre-1918 declension of Russian personal pronouns
singular plural reflexive
1st person 2nd person 3rd person 1st person 2nd person 3rd person
m n f m / n f
nominative я
(ja)
ты
(ty)
онъ
(on)
оно́
(onó)
она́
(oná)
мы
(my)
вы
(vy)
они́
(oní)
онѣ́
(oně́)
genitive меня́
(menjá)
тебя́
(tebjá)
его́1, него́1 2
(jevó, nevó)
ея́3, нея́2 3
(jejá, nejá)
насъ
(nas)
васъ
(vas)
ихъ, нихъ2
(ix, nix)
себя́
(sebjá)
dative мнѣ
(mně)
тебѣ́
(tebě́)
ему́, нему́2
(jemú, nemú)
ей, ней2
(jej, nej)
намъ
(nam)
вамъ
(vam)
имъ, нимъ2
(im, nim)
себѣ́
(sebě́)
accusative меня́
(menjá)
тебя́
(tebjá)
его́1, него́1 2
(jevó, nevó)
её, неё2
(jejó, nejó)
насъ
(nas)
васъ
(vas)
ихъ, нихъ2
(ix, nix)
себя́
(sebjá)
instrumental мной, мно́ю4
(mnoj, mnóju)
тобо́й, тобо́ю4
(tobój, tobóju)
имъ, нимъ2
(im, nim)
ей, ней2, е́ю4, не́ю2 4
(jej, nej, jéju, néju)
на́ми
(námi)
ва́ми
(vámi)
и́ми, ни́ми2
(ími, ními)
собо́й, собо́ю4
(sobój, sobóju)
prepositional5 мнѣ
(mně)
тебѣ́
(tebě́)
нёмъ2
(njom)
ней2
(nej)
насъ
(nas)
васъ
(vas)
нихъ2
(nix)
себѣ́
(sebě́)
  1. Letter г (g) in the genitive/accusative case ending is pronounced as /v/.
  2. The alternative forms starting with н- (n-) are used after a preposition.
  3. Archaic forms: ея́ (jejá), нея́ (nejá).
  4. Instrumental forms ending in (-ju) are either dated, poetic, or dialectal.
  5. The prepositional case is never used without a preposition.

Serbo-Croatian

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ǒni/
  • Hyphenation: о‧ни

Pronoun

о̀ни (Latin spelling òni)

  1. they (nominative plural of о̑н (he))

Declension

Inflection of 3rd-person pronouns
singular plural
masculine feminine neuter masculine feminine neuter
nominative о̑н о̀на о̀но о̀ни о̀не о̀на
genitive ње̏га, га ње̑, је ње̏га, га њи̑х, их њи̑х, их њи̑х, их
dative ње̏му, му њо̑ј, јој ње̏му, му њи̏ма, им њи̏ма, им њи̏ма, им
accusative ње̏га, га, њ њу̑, ју, је, њу ње̏га, га, њ њи̑х, их њи̑х, их њи̑х, их
vocative
locative ње̏м, ње̏му њо̑ј ње̏м, ње̏му њи̏ма њи̏ма њи̏ма
instrumental њи̑м, њи́ме њо̑м, њо́ме њи̑м, њи́ме њи̏ма њи̏ма њи̏ма

See also

Serbo-Croatian personal pronouns
singular plural
1st person ја ми
2nd person familiar ти ви
polite ви
3rd person m он они
f она оне
n оно она