Possessives (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
Possessives in French
What are possessives?
Possessive adjectives are words we use to show ownership or relationships, such as 'my', 'your', 'his', 'her', 'our', and 'their'. In French, these words work quite differently from English because they must match the gender and number of the thing being possessed, not the person who owns it.
Key Concept: In French possessives, the adjective changes based on the gender and number of the thing being possessed, not the person who owns it. This is a fundamental difference from English that requires careful attention.
Think of it this way: if you're talking about "my sister" in French, the possessive adjective changes based on whether "sister" is masculine or feminine, not whether you are male or female.
How possessive adjectives work
In French, possessive adjectives change their form depending on two important factors:
Gender: Whether the noun that follows is masculine (m) or feminine (f) Number: Whether the noun is singular or plural
This means that for each English possessive like "my" or "your", French has multiple forms to choose from.
Remember that you need to identify the gender and number of the noun being possessed first, then choose the correct possessive adjective form accordingly.
The possessive adjective forms
"My" - mon, ma, mes
| Masculine singular | Feminine singular | Plural (both genders) |
|---|---|---|
| mon | ma | mes |
Examples with "my":
- mon frère (my brother) - masculine singular
- ma sœur (my sister) - feminine singular
- mes parents (my parents) - plural
"Your" (informal) - tonne, ta, tes
| Masculine singular | Feminine singular | Plural (both genders) |
|---|---|---|
| tonne | ta | tes |
Examples with "your" (informal):
- tonne portable (your mobile phone) - masculine singular
- ta tablette (your tablet) - feminine singular
- tes jeux (your games) - plural
"His/Her" - son, sa, ses
| Masculine singular | Feminine singular | Plural (both genders) |
|---|---|---|
| son | sa | ses |
Examples with "his/her":
- son pantalon (his/her trousers) - masculine singular
- sa chambre (his/her bedroom) - feminine singular
- ses animaux (his/her animals) - plural
"Our" - notre, nos
| Singular (both genders) | Plural (both genders) |
|---|---|
| notre | nos |
Examples with "our":
- notre chien (our dog) - masculine singular
- notre chienne (our female dog) - feminine singular
- nos animaux (our animals) - plural
"Your" (formal/plural) - votre, vos
| Singular (both genders) | Plural (both genders) |
|---|---|
| votre | vos |
Examples with "your" (formal/plural):
- votre frère (your brother) - masculine singular
- votre sœur (your sister) - feminine singular
- vos parents (your parents) - plural
"Their" - leur, leurs
| Singular (both genders) | Plural (both genders) |
|---|---|
| leur | leurs |
Examples with "their":
- leur fils (their son) - masculine singular
- leur fille (their daughter) - feminine singular
- leurs enfants (their children) - plural
Important grammar tip: the vowel rule
Critical Rule - The Vowel Exception:
When a feminine noun begins with a vowel or silent 'h', you use the masculine form (mon, tonne, son) instead of the feminine form (ma, ta, sa).
This rule exists to make pronunciation smoother and avoid awkward vowel combinations.
Vowel Rule Examples:
- mon amie (my female friend) - NOT ma amie
- son école (his/her school) - NOT sa école
- tonne histoire (your story) - NOT ta histoire
Useful vocabulary
Using this vocabulary: Practice using these words with different possessive adjectives to become more comfortable with gender and number agreements.
| French | English | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| le sac | bag | masculine |
| la maison | house | feminine |
| les vêtements | clothes | masculine plural |
| le pantalon | trousers | masculine |
| la chambre | bedroom | feminine |
| les animaux | animals | masculine plural |
| le portable | mobile phone | masculine |
| la tablette | tablet | feminine |
| les jeux | games | masculine plural |
| le frère | brother | masculine |
| la sœur | sister | feminine |
| les parents | parents | masculine plural |
| le chien | dog | masculine |
| la chienne | female dog | feminine |
| les enfants | children | masculine plural |
Example sentences
Present Tense Examples:
- Mon frère habite à Paris. (My brother lives in Paris.)
- Ta sœur est très sympa. (Your sister is very nice.)
- Son chien s'appelle Max. (His/Her dog is called Max.)
- Notre maison est grande. (Our house is big.)
- Vos parents sont gentils. (Your parents are kind.)
- Leur voiture est rouge. (Their car is red.)
Past Tense Examples (passé composé):
- Mon ami a acheté une nouvelle tablette. (My friend bought a new tablet.)
- Sa chambre était très jolie. (His/Her bedroom was very pretty.)
- Nos animaux ont mangé dans le jardin. (Our animals ate in the garden.)
Pronunciation tips
Pronunciation Guide:
- mon, tonne, son: Pronounced with a nasal 'on' sound [mɔ̃], [tɔ̃], [sɔ̃]
- ma, ta, sa: Pronounced [ma], [ta], [sa]
- mes, tes, ses: Pronounced [me], [te], [se]
- notre: Pronounced [nɔtʁ]
- nos: Pronounced [no]
- votre: Pronounced [vɔtʁ]
- vos: Pronounced [vo]
- leur: Pronounced [lœʁ]
- leurs: Pronounced [lœʁ] (same as singular)
Translation exercises
Practice Exercises:
French to English:
- Ma sœur adore ses animaux.
- Leur fils joue avec son portable.
English to French: 3. Our house is very beautiful. 4. Your (informal) bag is on the table.
Answers:
- My sister loves her animals.
- Their son is playing with his mobile phone.
- Notre maison est très belle.
- Tonne sac est sur la table.
Remember!
Key Points to Remember:
- Possessive adjectives agree with the noun being possessed, not the person who owns it
- Feminine nouns starting with vowels use masculine possessive forms (mon amie, not ma amie)
- "Notre" and "votre" stay the same for both masculine and feminine singular nouns
- "Leur" stays the same for singular, but becomes "leurs" for plural
- When in doubt, check the gender and number of the noun that comes after the possessive adjective