Possessive Adjectives

The possessive adjective is used to express possession, belonging, or a relationship (family, friendship, etc.). In French, it agrees in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the object or person being possessed, and varies according to the possessor.

1. Summary Table

2. Fundamental Rule of Agreement

Unlike some other languages (such as English), the French possessive adjective agrees with the thing possessed, not with the possessor.

• Examples:
  • Pierre parle de sa sœur. (sœur is feminine → sa, even though Pierre is a man)
  • Marie parle de son frère. (frère is masculine → son, even though Marie is a woman)

3. Very Important Rule: Feminine Nouns Before a Vowel

When a singular feminine noun begins with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or a silent h, we use mon, ton, son instead of ma, ta, sa to avoid the clash of two vowels (hiatus).

• Ma + amie → Mon amie
• Ta + histoire → Ton histoire
• Sa + école → Son école

4. Examples of Use

One possessor (mon/ma/mes, ton/ta/tes, son/sa/ses):

• Je prends mon sac, ma veste et mes clés.
• Tu as trouvé ton livre et tes affaires ?
• Paul aime son travail et ses collègues.

Several possessors (notre/nos, votre/vos, leur/leurs):

• Nous présentons notre projet et nos idées.
• Où sont votre voiture et vos bagages ?
• Ils visitent leur ville et leurs monuments préférés.