Possessive Adjectives

01

Singular Owners (My, Your, His/Her)

When the owner is a single person (je, tu, il/elle), the adjective changes based on the gender and count of the object.

First Person (My)

• mon + masculine singular noun
• ma + feminine singular noun
• mes + plural noun (masculine or feminine)

• J'aime mon frère.

  I love my brother.

• Je cherche mes clés.

  I am looking for my keys.

Second Person (Your - Informal)

• ton + masculine singular noun
• ta + feminine singular noun
• tes + plural noun

• Où est ton chat ?

  Where is your cat?

• Tu as oublié tes chaussures.

  You forgot your shoes.

Third Person (His, Her, Its)

This is often a source of confusion for learners. Because the adjective agrees with the object, son, sa, and ses can mean either "his" or "her" depending on the context.

• son + masculine singular noun
• sa + feminine singular noun
• ses + plural noun

• Il parle avec sa mère.

  He is speaking with his mother.

• Elle parle avec sa mère.

  She is speaking with her mother.

• Paul a perdu son stylo.

  Paul lost his pen.

Note that in the first example, sa is used because mère (mother) is feminine. It does not matter that the owner ("He") is masculine.

02

The Vowel Exception

There is a crucial exception for pronunciation flow. If a feminine singular noun begins with a vowel or a silent 'h', you must use the masculine forms (mon, ton, son) instead of the feminine forms (ma, ta, sa). This avoids the awkward pause between two vowels.

• C'est mon amie.

  She is my friend.

• Ton histoire est intéressante.

  Your story is interesting.

• Il adore son école.

  He loves his school.

Even though amie, histoire, and école are feminine, the masculine adjective is used to bridge the sound.

03

Plural Owners (Our, Your, Their)

When the possessors are plural (nous, vous, ils/elles), the rules are simpler. There is no distinction between masculine and feminine for the singular object; there is only a difference between singular and plural objects.

Our (nous)

• notre + singular noun (masculine or feminine)
• nos + plural noun

• Nous aimons notre maison.

  We like our house.

• Ce sont nos enfants.

  These are our children.

Your (vous - Formal or Plural)

• votre + singular noun
• vos + plural noun

• Quel est votre nom ?

  What is your name?

• Vous avez vos billets ?

  Do you have your tickets?

Their (ils/elles)

• leur + singular noun
• leurs + plural noun

• Ils promènent leur chien.

  They are walking their dog.

• Elles parlent de leurs vacances.

  They are talking about their vacation.

04

Possession with 'On'

The subject pronoun on is versatile, and the possessive adjective used depends on the intended meaning of the sentence.

If on is used informally to mean "we," use notre/nos.

• On a vendu notre voiture.

  We sold our car.

If on is used to mean a general "one," "someone," or "people," use son/sa/ses.

• On doit brosser ses dents.

  One must brush one's teeth.

05

Body Parts

While English uses possessive adjectives for body parts (e.g., "my head," "his hand"), French typically uses the definite article (le, la, les) combined with a reflexive verb or an indirect object pronoun. Using a possessive adjective here can sound unnatural or emphatic.

• Je me lave les mains.

  I am washing my hands. (Literally: I wash myself the hands)

• Il a mal à la tête.

  He has a headache. (Literally: He has pain in the head)