A possessive adjective shows that a noun belongs to a specific person. In English, possessive adjectives translate to my, your, his/her, ours, yours, and theirs.
Unlike in English, the gender of the object being possessed is very important in French. The correct possessive adjective agrees in gender and number with the noun being possessed and not with the possessor.
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Before a masculine singular noun
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Before a feminine singular noun
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Before a plural noun
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Meaning
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mon
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ma
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mes
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my
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ton
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ta
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tes
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your
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son
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sa
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ses
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his/hers
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notre
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notres
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nos
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ours
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votre
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votre
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vos
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yours
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leur
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leur
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leurs
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theirs
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Note: The gender of the object is not important only when that object begins with a vowel; in that case, the muscular singular possessive adjective is used.
Mon appartement (masc.) → My apartment
Mon histoire (fem.) → My story
The questions you should ask yourself before choosing a possessive adjective are:
- “What is being possessed?”
- “Is that person or thing a masculine, feminine, or plural word in French?”
- “If it’s feminine singular, does it come before a vowel?”
Other Examples:
Note the gender and number of each word that is possessed and how the possessive adjective changes. This concept is consistent in French grammar whether or not people are being talked about, as all objects have an assigned gender.
Mon frère = My brother Ton père = Your father Son oncle = His oncle
Ma soeur = My sister Ta mère = Your mother Sa tante = His aunt
Notre famille = Our family Vos amis = Your friends Leurs cousins = Their cousins
