Possessive adjectives indicate possession or belonging. They agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the possessed object, and not with the possessor, unlike English.
Table of Possessive Adjectives
| Tonic Pronouns |
Masculine Singular |
Feminine Singular |
Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moi (je) | mon | ma | mes |
| Toi (tu) | ton | ta | tes |
| Lui (il) | son | sa | ses |
| Elle (elle) | son | sa | ses |
| Nous | notre | notre | nos |
| Vous | votre | votre | vos |
| Eux (ils) | leur | leur | leurs |
| Elles (elles) | leur | leur | leurs |
Examples
- Mon chien s'appelle Rex. (My dog is named Rex.)
- Ta voiture est très rapide. (Your car is very fast.)
- Sa maison est loin d'ici. (His/Her house is far from here.)
- Nos amis sont sympas. (Our friends are nice.)
- Vos questions sont pertinentes. (Your questions are relevant.)
- Leur maison est grande. (Their house is big.)
Difference with English
In English, possessive adjectives do not agree in gender and number with the possessed object but with the possessor (his, her, their, etc.). In French, the agreement is made with the possessed object, which requires paying attention to the gender and number of this object. For example, "his computer" translates to "son ordinateur" because "ordinateur" is masculine, and "his house" translates to "sa maison" because "maison" is a feminine word, regardless of the person or people these objects belong to.
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