Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn French possessive adjectives such as mon, ma, mes, used to indicate ownership and agree with the noun's gender and number, with key examples like mon écharpe and leur tante.
  1. The adjective agrees with the possessed noun.
PersonneSingulierFémininPluriel
JeMonMa (My)Mes 
TuTonTa (Your)Tes
Il / Elle / OnSonSa (Her)Ses
Nous Notre (Our)Notre (Our)Nos  (Our)
Vous Votre (Your)Votre (Your)Vos (Your)
Ils / Elles Leur (Their)Leur (Their)Leurs (Theirs)

Exceptions!

  1. When feminine nouns begin with a vowel or a silent 'h', the masculine possessive adjective is used. Example: Mon écharpe.

Exercise 1: Les adjectifs possesifs

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

Leur, ton, mon, sa, son, nos, mes

1. Tu :
Je suis ... cousin.
(I am your cousin.)
2. Je :
Paul est ... frère.
(Paul is my brother.)
3. Il :
C'est ... fils, il s'appelle Martin.
(He is his son, his name is Martin.)
4. Elle :
Elles sont ensemble, elle et ... mère.
(They are together, she and her mother.)
5. Nous :
Nous sommes avec ... amis.
(We are with our friends.)
6. Ils/Elles :
... famille est anglaise.
(Their family is English.)
7. Nous :
Nous avons deux filles. Elles sont ... enfants.
(We have two daughters. They are our children.)
8. Je :
Je suis le fils préféré de ... parents.
(I am my parents' favourite son.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. J'adore ma mère et ___ sourire chaleureux.

(I love my mother and ___ warm smile.)

2. Nous visitons ___ grand-père chaque dimanche.

(We visit ___ grandfather every Sunday.)

3. Il a deux frères et ___ sœur.

(He has two brothers and ___ sister.)

4. Mon oncle aime ___ fils et ___ fille.

(My uncle loves ___ son and ___ daughter.)

5. Elle aime beaucoup ___ tante gentille.

(She really likes ___ kind aunt.)

6. ___ parents peuvent réunir toute la famille.

(___ parents can gather the whole family.)

Understanding French Possessive Adjectives

This lesson covers French possessive adjectives, essential words that accompany nouns to show ownership or connection. In French, the possessive adjective must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun possessed, not the owner.

Possessive Adjectives Chart

PersonSingular MasculineSingular FemininePlural
Je (I)MonMaMes
Tu (You, singular informal)TonTaTes
Il/Elle/On (He/She/One)SonSaSes
Nous (We)NotreNotreNos
Vous (You, formal or plural)VotreVotreVos
Ils/Elles (They)LeurLeurLeurs

Key Rules to Remember

  • The possessive adjective agrees with the noun it describes, not the person owning it. For example, ma sœur (my sister) because sœur is feminine.
  • If a feminine noun begins with a vowel or a mute 'h', the masculine possessive adjective is used instead to make pronunciation easier. Example: Mon écharpe.

Examples

  • Mon livre – My book
  • Ta maison – Your house
  • Ses enfants – His/her children
  • Notre voiture – Our car
  • Leurs idées – Their ideas

Comparing English and French Possessives

Unlike English, where possessive adjectives (my, your, his, her) don't change based on the gender of the noun, French possessive adjectives must match the gender and number of the noun they modify.

For example, in English you say "her book" regardless of the book’s gender (since English nouns don't have grammatical gender), but in French you say son livre (masculine) because livre is masculine, and sa table (feminine) because table is feminine.

Useful Phrases and Words

  • Mon ami – My friend (male)
  • Ma amie is avoided because amie starts with a vowel, so it becomes Mon amie.
  • Ton école – Your school (because école begins with a vowel)
  • Nos chiens – Our dogs (plural)

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Alessia Calcagni

Languages for communication in international enterprises and organizations

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

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Last Updated:

Friday, 18/07/2025 00:48