Japanese - Possession

それはあなたのですか？

Sore wa anata no desu ka?

Is it yours?

Meaning: Is it yours?

When to use: Use this when you want to politely check whether an item belongs to the person you are speaking to. Using a name＋さん instead of あなた often sounds more natural.

これは私のじゃないです。

Kore wa watashi no ja nai desu.

This isn't mine.

Meaning: This isn’t mine.

When to use: Use this polite spoken form when you want to say an item does not belong to you. A more formal version is これは私のではありません。

Tip: Beginners sometimes say 私のじゃない without です; in polite speech keep です (じゃないです).

これは全部、私のです。

Kore wa zenbu, watashi no desu.

These are mine.

Meaning: These are mine.

When to use: Use this to say that several things belong to you. Japanese often does not mark plural, so adding 全部 (zenbu) clarifies 'all of them'.

これは全部、あなたのですか？

Kore wa zenbu, anata no desu ka?

Are these yours?

Meaning: Are these yours?

When to use: Use this to ask if several items belong to the listener. Replacing あなた with a name＋さん can sound more natural.

何を持っていますか？

Nani o motte imasu ka?

What do you have?

Meaning: What do you have?

When to use: Ask this to find out what someone is carrying or has with them. For people or animals you would use います instead of 持っています。

___は誰が持っていますか？

___ wa dare ga motte imasu ka?

Who has ___?

Meaning: Who has ___?

When to use: Put the item name in the blank (___は誰が持っていますか？) to ask which person has that object.

Tip: Don't mix topic particle: use は after the item (___は) and が for the person (誰が).

私たちは___を持っています。

Watashi-tachi wa ___ o motte imasu.

We have ___.

Meaning: We have ___.

When to use: Use this frame to say your group has something. Put the item name in the blank. For events or times, あります is often more natural than 持っています。

私は___だけ持っています。

Watashi wa ___ dake motte imasu.

I only have ___.

Meaning: I only have ___.

When to use: Put a thing or amount in the blank to say you have only that amount or item. 「だけ」 marks the limit.