Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives are essential in French as they help express ownership and relationships. They tell us who something belongs to, like “my,” “your,” or “his.” In this post, we’ll explore how to use possessive adjectives correctly, complete with examples!


What Are Possessive Adjectives?

Possessive adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify, not with the person who owns the item.

Here are the French possessive adjectives:

Singular (Masculine) Singular (Feminine) Plural (All Genders)
Mon (my) Ma (my) Mes (my)
Ton (your, informal) Ta (your, informal) Tes (your, informal)
Son (his/her/its) Sa (his/her/its) Ses (his/her/its)
Notre (our) Notre (our) Nos (our)
Votre (your, formal/plural) Votre (your, formal/plural) Vos (your, formal/plural)
Leur (their) Leur (their) Leurs (their)

Examples in Sentences

Mon / Ma / Mes (my)

  • Mon livre (my book)
    • C’est mon livre. (This is my book.)
  • Ma maison (my house)
    • Ma maison est grande. (My house is big.)
  • Mes amis (my friends)
    • Mes amis sont gentils. (My friends are nice.)

Ton / Ta / Tes (your – informal)

  • Ton chien (your dog)
    • Ton chien est mignon. (Your dog is cute.)
  • Ta voiture (your car)
    • Ta voiture est rapide. (Your car is fast.)
  • Tes livres (your books)
    • Tes livres sont sur la table. (Your books are on the table.)

Son / Sa / Ses (his/her/its)

  • Son ordinateur (his/her/its computer)
    • Il a oublié son ordinateur. (He forgot his computer.)
  • Sa sœur (his/her sister)
    • Sa sœur est artiste. (His/Her sister is an artist.)
  • Ses enfants (his/her children)
    • Ses enfants jouent au parc. (His/Her children are playing in the park.)

Notre / Nos (our)

  • Notre famille (our family)
    • Notre famille est unie. (Our family is united.)
  • Nos vacances (our vacations)
    • Nos vacances étaient merveilleuses. (Our vacations were wonderful.)

Votre / Vos (your – formal/plural)

  • Votre professeur (your teacher)
    • Votre professeur est sympathique. (Your teacher is nice.)
  • Vos idées (your ideas)
    • Vos idées sont intéressantes. (Your ideas are interesting.)

Leur / Leurs (their)

  • Leur maison (their house)
    • Leur maison est belle. (Their house is beautiful.)
  • Leurs enfants (their children)
    • Leurs enfants sont à l’école. (Their children are at school.)

Special Cases

  1. Mon and Ma: Use mon before feminine singular nouns that start with a vowel or a mute “h” to avoid awkward pronunciation.
    • Mon amie (my friend)
    • Mon histoire (my story)
  2. Ton and Ta: Same rule applies as above.
    • Ton amie (your friend)
    • Ton histoire (your story)

Practice Sentences

Let’s practice with some full sentences:

  • Mon frère a un nouveau vélo. (My brother has a new bike.)
  • Ma mère prépare le dîner. (My mother is making dinner.)
  • Tes chaussures sont sous la table. (Your shoes are under the table.)
  • Leur école est très moderne. (Their school is very modern.)

Possessive adjectives are key to expressing ownership in French. Remember to match the adjective to the noun in gender and number, and you’ll be on your way to sounding fluent! With practice, you’ll use them confidently in your conversations.

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