Possessives (Edexcel GCSE French): Revision Notes
Possessives
What are possessives?
Possessives show ownership or relationships between people and things. In French, they work differently from English because they must agree with the gender and number of the thing being possessed, not the person who owns it.
This is a key difference from English! In French, if you're talking about "his sister" or "her sister," you use the same word (sa sœur) because the possessive agrees with "sister" (feminine), not with whether the owner is male or female.
Possessive adjectives
Possessive adjectives are words like "my", "your", "his", "her", "our", and "their". In French, these change their form depending on whether the noun they describe is masculine, feminine, or plural.
Agreement Rule: In French, the possessive adjective changes to agree with the gender and number of the noun that follows, not the gender of the person who owns it.
"My" - mon, ma, mes
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| mon | ma | mes | my |
Examples:
- mon pull (my jumper - masculine)
- ma veste (my jacket - feminine)
- mes baskets (my trainers - plural)
"Your" (informal) - tonne, ta, tes
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| tonne | ta | tes | your |
Examples:
- tonne portable (your mobile - masculine)
- ta console de jeux (your games console - feminine)
- tes jeux (your games - plural)
"Your" (formal/polite) - votre, vos
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| votre | votre | vos | your |
Examples:
- votre frère (your brother)
- votre sœur (your sister)
- vos parents (your parents)
"His/Her" - son, sa, ses
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| son | sa | ses | his/her |
Examples:
- son pantalon (his/her trousers - masculine)
- sa chemise (his/her shirt - feminine)
- ses chaussures (his/her shoes - plural)
Important note: The forms son, sa, and ses can mean either "his" or "her" depending on context. The form you choose depends on the gender of the thing being possessed, not the gender of the person who owns it.
"Our" - notre, nos
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| notre | notre | nos | our |
Examples:
- notre chat (our cat)
- notre chatte (our female cat)
- nos animaux (our animals)
"Their" - leur, leurs
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| leur | leur | leurs | their |
Examples:
- leur fils (their son)
- leur fille (their daughter)
- leurs enfants (their children)
Special vowel rule
Special Vowel Rule: When a feminine noun begins with a vowel or silent 'h', you use mon, tonne, son instead of ma, ta, sa.
This rule exists to make pronunciation smoother in French.
Worked Example: Vowel Rule
Step 1: Identify if the feminine noun starts with a vowel
- amie (female friend) - starts with vowel 'a'
Step 2: Use the masculine form instead of feminine
- mon amie (my female friend) ✓
ma amie✗
Step 3: Compare with masculine noun
- mon ami (my male friend)
- mon amie (my female friend)
Possessive pronouns
Possessive pronouns replace nouns entirely and mean "mine", "yours", "his", "hers", "ours", or "theirs". These also change according to the gender and number of the thing they replace.
Worked Example: Possessive Pronoun Forms
| Gender/Number | Form | English |
|---|---|---|
| Masculine singular | C'est le mien | It's mine |
| Feminine singular | C'est la mienne | It's mine |
| Masculine plural | Ce sont les miens | They're mine |
| Feminine plural | Ce sont les miennes | They're mine |
The same pattern applies for "yours", "his/hers", etc., but the forms change accordingly.
Practice exercises
To reinforce your understanding, practice translating sentences like:
- "My brother" → mon frère
- "His friend (female)" → son amie
- "Their car" → leur voiture
- "Our parents" → nos parents
Remember to think about the gender and number of the thing being possessed, not the person who owns it.
Key Points to Remember:
- Possessive adjectives agree with the gender and number of the thing possessed, not the owner
- mon, tonne, son are used with feminine nouns that begin with a vowel
- son, sa, ses can mean either "his" or "her"
- Possessive pronouns like le mien, la mienne replace nouns completely
- Practice with real examples to build confidence with agreement patterns