French Possessive Adjectives: A Beginner’s Guide

Introduction

Welcome, dear students, to our lesson on French Possessive Adjectives. Today, we will explore these unique elements of the French language which are used to indicate ownership or relation. Remember, understanding possessive adjectives is crucial for expressing relationships between people and things in French.

Understanding French Possessive Adjectives

In French, possessive adjectives agree in gender (masculine, feminine) and number (singular, plural) with the noun they describe, not with the owner. This is different from English, where the adjective only reflects the owner.

Singular Forms of French Possessive Adjectives

• Masculine:
  • “mon” (my) for masculine nouns. Example: “mon livre” (my book).
  • “ton” (your) for masculine nouns. Example: “ton chien” (your dog).
  • “son” (his/her) for masculine nouns. Example: “son vélo” (his/her bike).
• Feminine:
  • “ma” (my) for feminine nouns. Example: “ma voiture” (my car).
  • “ta” (your) for feminine nouns. Example: “ta maison” (your house).
  • “sa” (his/her) for feminine nouns. Example: “sa robe” (his/her dress).

Note: Before a feminine noun starting with a vowel or silent ‘h’, use “mon”, “ton”, or “son” to avoid a hiatus. For example, “mon amie” (my friend – feminine).

Plural Forms

• For all genders:
  • “mes” (my) for plural nouns. Example: “mes amis” (my friends).
  • “tes” (your) for plural nouns. Example: “tes livres” (your books).
  • “ses” (his/her) for plural nouns. Example: “ses chaussures” (his/her shoes).

This table should help you quickly identify the correct possessive adjective in French based on the owner, the gender, and the number of the noun. Remember, the gender and number of the noun (not the owner) determine the form of the possessive adjective in French.

Differences from English

1. Gender Agreement: In English, possessive adjectives do not change according to the object’s gender. For instance, “his car” and “his house” use “his” regardless of the gender of “car” or “house.”
2. Plurality: In English, the possessive adjective changes only based on the owner (his/her/their), not the noun.

In French, a unique aspect arises when using the possessive adjectives “mon” (my), “ton” (your), and “son” (his/her) with feminine nouns that begin with a vowel or a silent ‘h’. Normally, these adjectives would change to “ma”, “ta”, and “sa” respectively for feminine nouns. However, to avoid the awkward sound caused by the vowel-on-vowel or vowel-on-silent ‘h’ collision, “mon”, “ton”, and “son” are used instead, regardless of the noun’s gender.

This rule is primarily for ease of pronunciation. In French, smooth flow in speech is often prioritized, and this adjustment helps to maintain a fluid and clear pronunciation.

For example:

• “mon amie” (my friend – feminine) instead of “ma amie”.
• “ton école” (your school – feminine) instead of “ta école”.
• “son horloge” (his/her clock – feminine) instead of “sa horloge”.

It’s important to note that this adjustment is purely phonetic and does not change the gender of the noun. “Amie” is still feminine, but we use “mon” instead of “ma” for smoother pronunciation.

PRACTICE the French possessive adjectives

Exercise 1: Choose the Correct Possessive Adjective

Complete the following sentences with the correct possessive adjective in French.

1. ______ (my) frère mesure 1 mètre 80.
2. J’aime ______ (her) chaussures.
3. Ils rencontrent ______ (their) voisine pour la première fois.
4. ______ (our) école est très grande.
5. Je cherche _____ (my) clés.

Exercise 2: Translate into French

Translate the following sentences into French.

1. Their cats are cute.
2. I like your (singular, informal) garden.
3. She is in her bedroom.
4. We are going to see our grandmother.
5. Do you (plural or formal) have your passports?

Exercise 3: Complete with ‘son, sa, ses’

Complete the following text with ‘son’, ‘sa’, or ‘ses’.

1. Marie regarde ______ (her) montre.
2. Elle pose ______ (her) sac et quitte ______ (her) appartement.
3. Elle rencontre ______ (her) amis au café.
4. Marie parle de ______ (her) travail et de ______ (her) famille.

Exercise 4: Complete with ‘mon, ma, mes’

Complete the following text with ‘mon’, ‘ma’, or ‘mes’.”

1. Je cherche ______ (my) clés.
2. J’ouvre ______ (my) voiture.
3. ______ (my) amis m’invitent.
4. Nous allons à ______ (my) bureau ensemble.
5. Je retrouve _______ (my) clés dans _______ (my) école.

Exercise 5: Complete with ‘votre, vos’

Complete the following text with ‘votre’ or ‘vos’.

1. Bonjour,  ______ (your, plural or formal) nom, s’il vous plaît ?
2. ______ (Your, plural or formal) enfants sont-ils à l’école ?
3. J’ai des questions sur ______ (your, plural or formal) projet.
4. Avez-vous ______ (your, plural or formal) documents ?
5. Nous allons visiter ______ (your, plural or formal) entreprise demain.

Vocabulary used in the lesson on French possessive adjectives.

previous lessons

• Lesson 13 : Basic prepositions 1
• Lesson 14 : Basic prepositions 2
• Lesson 15 : verb aller
• lesson 15-1 : countries in French
• Lesson 16 : Present Tense

We also recommend this lesson in French on the same topic.