adjective

eigen

own

Etwas gehört zu einer Person oder Sache und nicht zu jemand anderem.

Definition & meaning

eigen is an adjective with several related meanings:

one’s own; belonging to oneself or a particular person
- Das ist mein eigenes Haus. — “That is my own house.”
- Sie hat ihre eigene Meinung. — “She has her own opinion.”
- It emphasizes possession, individuality, or independence.
personal; particular to someone or something
- Jedes Land hat seine eigenen Traditionen. — “Every country has its own traditions.”
- Diese Pflanze hat einen ganz eigenen Geruch. — “This plant has a very distinctive smell.”
peculiar; strange; unusual
This meaning is somewhat literary or less common in everyday speech.
- Er hat eine eigenartige Art zu sprechen. — “He has a peculiar way of speaking.”
- Das ist eigen. — “That is strange.”

The related compound Eigen- appears in words referring to something specific, inherent, or belonging to oneself, such as Eigenart (“distinctive character”) and Eigengewicht (“dead weight”).

Grammar & Word origin

eigen is an adjective. It is normally declined like other German adjectives:

mein eigener Hund — “my own dog”
meine eigene Idee — “my own idea”
mein eigenes Zimmer — “my own room”
mit eigenem Geld — “with one’s own money”

In sein constructions, it usually has no ending:

Das ist eigen. — “That is strange.”
Das ist mein eigenes. — “That is mine / my own.”

The noun das Eigene means “what is one’s own” or “one’s own characteristic qualities.”

Historically, eigen comes from Old High German eigan, meaning “possessed” or “belonging to someone.” It is related to English own.

Synonyms & antonyms

The appropriate synonym depends on the meaning:

selbst — “own” or “self”; often emphasizes that something belongs specifically to the subject.
persönlich — “personal”; focuses more on an individual’s feelings, views, or involvement than on ownership.
privat — “private”; contrasts with public rather than simply emphasizing personal ownership.
individuell — “individual”; emphasizes uniqueness or difference from others.
charakteristisch — “characteristic”; corresponds to the meaning “typical or distinctive of something.”
eigentümlich — “peculiar” or “strange”; stronger and often more unusual than eigen in this sense.
sonderbar — “odd” or “strange”; clearly emphasizes unusualness.

Possible antonyms also vary by context:

fremd — “foreign,” “belonging to someone else,” or “unfamiliar”; the most direct opposite when eigen means “one’s own.”
gemeinsam — “shared” or “common”; contrasts with something belonging exclusively to one person or group.
öffentlich — “public”; the opposite of privat , not always a direct opposite of eigen .
gewöhnlich — “ordinary” or “usual”; an approximate opposite when eigen means “peculiar.”

Common phrases & collocations

sein eigenes Ding machen — to do one’s own thing
seine eigene Meinung haben — to have one’s own opinion
auf eigene Faust — on one’s own initiative; independently
in eigener Sache — on one’s own behalf; concerning one’s personal interests
sich etwas zu eigen machen — to make something one’s own; to adopt or appropriate something
eine eigene Wohnung — one’s own apartment
ein ganz eigener Stil — a very distinctive personal style