my
my — determiner
1. showing that something belongs to or is connected with the person who is speakin
showing that something belongs to or is connected with the person who is speaking or writing — used before a noun to say 'of me' or 'related to me'
Haruto borrowed my bicycle without asking me first, which made me upset.
my + concrete noun (bicycle)
I left my glasses on the kitchen table and now I cannot see clearly.
my + body-related object (glasses)
Chiara told me that my cooking was the best she had ever tasted.
Is that my pen on your desk, or do you own one just like it?
My grandmother taught me how to bake bread when I was seven.
my + family member noun
- my + noun
- my own + noun
Grammar Patterns
my + noun
Usage Note
Unlike possessive adjectives in some other languages, 'my' does not change form based on the gender or number of the noun that follows. Use the same form before singular and plural nouns: 'my book' and 'my books.'
Common Mistakes
2. used before a noun to stress that something belongs personally to the speaker an
used before a noun to stress that something belongs personally to the speaker and to no one else — often used when stating a private opinion or defending a personal right
This is my personal opinion, not what the rest of the team thinks.
my + personal opinion (expressing individual view)
Tunde refused to share his notes, saying it was his own work and nobody else's.
My choice to leave the company was my own, so do not blame anyone else.
Those are my private documents and I did not give you permission to read them.
my + private/confidential nouns
Ari said, "That is my seat — I saved it with my jacket an hour ago."
- my own
- my personal
- my private
- my very own
- someone else's
belonging to another person
Grammar Patterns
my + own + noun
my + personal/informal noun
Usage Note
This sense is often spoken with extra stress on 'my' ("That is MY seat"). It can also be reinforced with 'very': 'That is my very own recipe.'
Common Mistakes
3. used before a noun or name when speaking to someone to show love, friendship, ki
used before a noun or name when speaking to someone to show love, friendship, kindness, or humorous politeness — commonly found in fixed phrases like 'my dear,' 'my love,' or 'my friend'
"Come in, my dear," said the elderly woman as she opened the front door.
my dear — affectionate address to a loved person
Ramón sent his wife a card that began with "My darling Élise."
The old coach patted Dahlia on the shoulder and said, "Well done, my girl."
"My good sir, you dropped your wallet on the pavement," the boy called out politely.
my good sir — polite/humorous address
Imani hugged her younger brother and whispered, "Do not worry, my sweet."
- my dear
- my love
- my darling
- my friend
- my child
- my son
- my good sir
Grammar Patterns
my + dear/love/son/friend + (name/address)
Usage Note
Commonly used in direct speech as a form of address. The noun after 'my' is almost always affectionate ('my love,' 'my darling') or polite ('my friend,' 'my dear sir'). Avoid using this with strangers in formal situations, as it may sound old-fashioned or overly familiar.
Common Mistakes
4. used in the names of sections of a website or app that contain information or se
used in the names of sections of a website or app that contain information or settings chosen by a particular user — as in 'My Account' or 'My Profile'
Devika clicked on "My Account" to update her email address and shipping details.
My Account — standard web section label
You can see all the articles you saved by going to the "My Library" page.
Selim changed his profile picture by uploading a new photo to "My Profile."
The "My Orders" tab shows every purchase you have made on this online store.
My Orders — e-commerce use case
Yael customized the homepage so that "My Dashboard" showed only her favorite news topics.
- My Account
- My Profile
- My Orders
- My Library
- My Settings
- My Dashboard
- your
used instead of 'my' when the website addresses the user directly, e.g., 'Your Dashboard'
Grammar Patterns
my + account/page/profile/settings
Usage Note
In this sense, 'my' always appears as part of a fixed label or menu item, often capitalized. It does not refer to a real possessive relationship but to a user's customizable area within a digital interface.
my — exclamation
1. said as a short exclamation when something surprises or pleases you — similar to
said as a short exclamation when something surprises or pleases you — similar to 'wow' or 'oh my' but shorter, and sometimes repeated as 'My, my!'
"My! That sunset is absolutely stunning tonight," Christopher said, stopping to stare.
My! standalone — expressing wonder
"My, my! You have grown so much since I last saw you," Aunt Rosa said.
My, my! — repeated form for extra emphasis
"My oh my, that chocolate cake looks incredible," Élise said with a happy sigh.
Imani opened the gift box and gasped, "My! This is far too generous of you."
Grammar Patterns
My! (standalone)
My, my! (repeated)
My + oh my!
Usage Note
This exclamation is less common in modern everyday speech among younger speakers, who may prefer 'Wow!' or 'Oh my god!' It is more frequent in older generations, in storytelling, or when imitating an old-fashioned tone.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'My! I am going to the store.' — The exclamation 'My!' should express genuine surprise or strong feeling, not be used as a casual filler.
my — adjective
1. a possessive adjective placed before a noun to indicate that the noun is owned b
a possessive adjective placed before a noun to indicate that the noun is owned by or associated with the person speaking — traditional grammar treats 'my' as an adjective because it modifies the noun directly, just as other adjectives modify nouns (e.g., 'my car' works like 'red car')
After years of searching, I finally found my dream house by the lake.
my + abstract noun (dream house)
Tunde carried his grandfather's watch in my bag because his own backpack was full.
My biggest fear is speaking in front of a large audience.
"This is my country and I will always defend it," the soldier said proudly.
my + abstract belonging (country)
- my + noun
- your
belonging to the person being addressed
Grammar Patterns
my + noun (as adjective)
Usage Note
In traditional grammar 'my' is called a possessive adjective, but modern grammars more often call it a possessive determiner. The meaning and use are identical — it always appears before a noun and does not change form.
Common Mistakes
my — abbreviation
1. a written abbreviation meaning 'million years' — used in geology, paleontology,
a written abbreviation meaning 'million years' — used in geology, paleontology, and related sciences to indicate time spans or dates measured in millions of years before the present
The fossil was estimated to be around 150 my. old by the research team.
my. after a number = million years
Geologists believe this rock layer formed approximately 65 my. ago during a major extinction event.
The dinosaurs disappeared about 66 my. before humans appeared on Earth.
This canyon was carved by water over a period of roughly 5 my., the textbook explained.
- [number] my.
- [number] my. ago
- [number] my. old
- Ma
mega-annum, a more standardized scientific abbreviation for 'million years ago'
Grammar Patterns
[number] my.
[number] My
Usage Note
Always followed by a period ('my.') in formal scientific writing. The capitalized form 'My' is sometimes used without a period. The abbreviation should not be confused with the possessive determiner 'my.'
Common Mistakes
❌ 'The building was built 2 my. ago.' — 'my.' is only used for geological or paleontological time scales, not for human history or recent events.
my — combining form
1. a prefix from Greek meaning 'muscle' — used in medical and anatomical terms to f
a prefix from Greek meaning 'muscle' — used in medical and anatomical terms to form words that refer to muscle tissue, muscle diseases, or muscle-related structures
Myocarditis is the medical term for inflammation of the heart muscle wall.
myo- + card- (heart) = heart muscle
The doctor diagnosed the patient with myopathy after noticing severe muscle weakness.
Chiara learned in class that myofibrils are the basic units of a muscle cell.
A muscle strain or tear is called a myotear in some medical textbooks.
Grammar Patterns
myo- + noun
my- + noun (before vowels)
Usage Note
The form changes to 'my-' before vowels ('myalgia' = muscle pain) and 'myo-' before consonants ('myoglobin'). This combining form is not a standalone word — it always attaches to another element to create a medical term.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: determiner/1
'My,' 'mine,' and 'my own' all indicate possession by the speaker, but they follow different grammatical rules. 'My' is a possessive determiner and must always be followed by a noun: 'my bag,' 'my idea.' 'Mine' is a possessive pronoun that replaces the noun entirely: 'That bag is mine.' You cannot say '*That is mine bag.' 'My own' emphasizes that something belongs specifically and exclusively to the speaker, often contrasting with others: 'I have my own car' implies nobody else drives it. Use 'my' for ordinary possession ('my phone'), 'mine' when the noun is already understood ('Whose phone is that? — Mine.'), and 'my own' when you want to stress personal ownership or independence ('I want my own room').
Common collocations
Phrases
- my own
- my dear
- my love
- my friend
- my good sir
- My Account
- My Profile
- in my opinion
- to my surprise
- in my view
Etymology
'My' comes from the Old English word 'mīn,' which was the possessive form of 'ic' (meaning 'I'). In Old English, 'mīn' could mean both 'my' and 'mine' depending on grammar. Over time, English developed a split: 'my' came to be used before nouns (as a determiner), while 'mine' was reserved for standalone use (as a pronoun). The change from 'mīn' to 'my' involved the loss of the final '-n' sound before consonant sounds — a pattern also seen in the history of 'a' vs. 'an.' The exclamation 'My!' (expressing surprise) may have developed from the phrase 'my God!' with the second part dropped for politeness or brevity.