Own – to legally have something as your property or possession. It can also describe admitting, accepting, or taking responsibility for something.
Participle forms:
|
Past participle |
Present participle |
|---|---|
|
owning |
owned |
Pronouncing the “O” in “Own”
Audio (UK):
Audio (US):
In the word “own,” you can find a long diphthong instead of a short vowel. The American pronunciation of the sound is /oʊ/ while the British pronunciation has more central articulation /əʊ/. Please note that this word is never pronounced like “on” since it requires you to use a longer vowel sound.
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“Own” as a Non-Continuous (Stative) Verb
“Own” is generally a stative verb because it expresses a condition or state and not an activity. Due to this reason, English language learners prefer using this verb in simple tenses only.
|
I own a car.
|
I am owning a car.
|
|
She owns two apartments in London.
|
She is owning two apartments in London.
|
|
They own a successful business.
|
They are owning a successful business.
|
Many verbs connected to thoughts, feelings, possession, or senses – such as “know,” “believe,” “love,” and “own” – are commonly treated as stative verbs and rarely appear in continuous tenses.
Conjugation of the Regular Verb “Own”
Despite being a stative verb, “own” is also a regular verb; therefore, it becomes easy to form its past tenses. They are formed using the suffix –ed: own → owned.
Present, Future and Past Simple Forms
|
Tense |
Structure |
Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Present Simple |
own/owns |
I
|
|
Past Simple |
owned |
They
|
|
Future Simple |
will own |
One day, she
|
Using “Own” in Perfect Tenses
|
Tense |
Structure |
Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Present Perfect |
have/has owned |
He
|
|
Past Perfect |
had owned |
We
|
|
Future Perfect |
will have owned |
By next year, they
|
Vocabulary Nuances: “Own” vs. “Belong to”
Both “own” and “belong to” describe possession, but the sentence structure and focus are different.
|
Structure |
Focus |
Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Own + object |
emphasizes the person who possesses something |
She
|
|
Object + belong to + person |
emphasizes the thing and who it is connected to |
The cozy house near the lake
|
More examples in context:
Double Function: “Own” as an Adjective/Pronoun
The word “own” is not only a verb – it can also function as an adjective or pronoun to emphasize personal possession, individuality, or independence.
|
Structure |
Usage |
Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Possessive adjective + own + noun |
emphasizes that something personally belongs to someone |
She finally bought her
|
|
on + possessive adjective + own |
describes doing something alone or independently |
He learned how to code completely on his
|
|
of + possessive adjective + own |
refers to something personally possessed, created, or desired |
They hope to start a business of their
|
|
own + noun |
highlights individuality or personal connection |
It’s important to develop your
|
|
make + object + possessive adjective + own |
means to personalize or adapt something |
She decorated the apartment to make it her
|
Top Idioms and Phrasal Verbs with “Own”
Many expressions with “own” are connected to responsibility, independence, or confidence. That’s why they are especially common in professional, academic, and personal-development contexts.
- Own up to something – to admit that you did something wrong or made a mistake
- Hold your own – successfully defend yourself or compete equally with others
- On your own – alone or without help from others
- Make something your own – personalize or adapt something to suit you
"Own" in Spanish, French, and German
Listen to the following translations to understand how the verb “own” is properly pronounced and spelled in other languages.
| Language | Word for “Own” |
|---|---|
Spanish
|
Poseer |
French
|
Posséder |
German
|
Besitzen |
