Possessive adjectives – mon, ma, mes…
My, your, his, her…
Possessive adjectives (my, your, his…) agree with the thing owned, not with the owner. This is the key difference from English.
The forms
| owner | masc. sing. | fem. sing. | plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | mon | ma | mes |
| tu | ton | ta | tes |
| il / elle / on | son | sa | ses |
| nous | notre | notre | nos |
| vous | votre | votre | vos |
| ils / elles | leur | leur | leurs |
- mon frère, ma sœur, mes parents
- notre maison, nos enfants
- leur voiture, leurs voitures
Son / sa = his OR her
Son, sa, ses agree with the possessed noun, so they can mean his, her or its:
- Paul aime sa mère.Paul loves his mother.
- Marie aime sa mère.Marie loves her mother.
- Marie aime son père.Marie loves her father.
Sa is feminine because mère is feminine, not because Marie is a woman.
- Pierre a perdu ses clés.Pierre lost his keys.
Tu vs vous
Use ton/ta/tes with someone you say tu to, and votre/vos with vous:
- C'est ton sac ? / C'est votre sac ?Is this your bag?
Body parts
French often uses le/la/les instead of a possessive with body parts: J'ai mal à la tête (my head hurts), Il lève la main (he raises his hand).
Before a vowel, ma, ta, sa become mon, ton, son: see Possessive adjectives.
Practice
- _____ frèreOptions: mon · ma · mes
Show the answer
mon
- _____ sœurOptions: ma · mon · mes
Show the answer
ma
- Paul aime _____ mère.Options: sa · son · ses
Show the answer
sa
- Marie aime _____ père.Options: son · sa · ses
Show the answer
son — Père is masculine, so son – whatever the owner's gender.
In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.