Example 1: // In Customer class: @ManyToMany @JoinTable(name="CUST_PHONES") public Set<PhoneNumber> getPhones() { return phones; } // In PhoneNumber class: @ManyToMany(mappedBy="phones") public Set<Customer> getCustomers() { return customers; } Example 2: // In Customer class: @ManyToMany(targetEntity=com.acme.PhoneNumber.class) public Set getPhones() { return phones; } // In PhoneNumber class: @ManyToMany(targetEntity=com.acme.Customer.class, mappedBy="phones") public Set getCustomers() { return customers; } Example 3: // In Customer class: @ManyToMany @JoinTable(name="CUST_PHONE", joinColumns= @JoinColumn(name="CUST_ID", referencedColumnName="ID"), inverseJoinColumns= @JoinColumn(name="PHONE_ID", referencedColumnName="ID") ) public Set<PhoneNumber> getPhones() { return phones; } // In PhoneNumberClass: @ManyToMany(mappedBy="phones") public Set<Customer> getCustomers() { return customers; }