French Possession

Overview

There are four grammatical constructions used to express possession in French: adjectives, pronouns, and two different prepositions. In English, we use ‘s (apostrophe s) to indicate that one noun possesses another. The French equivalent is the preposition de or à with the order of the nouns reversed. We will cover possessive adjectives and possessive pronouns in future units.

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Previously, we discussed how to talk about possession using possessive adjectives (my, your, his, etc..) In English, we also show possession by using an apostrophe.

Annette’s car.

John’s backpack.

In French, to show possession in the same way that we use an apostrophe, one should use the “possessive de.” Take a look at the same two examples to see their relationship:

Le sac-à-dos de John = The backpack of John = John’s backpack

La voiture d’Annette = The car of Annette = Annette’s car

Just as we learned with partitive articles, de must connect with any definite article that follows it.

The lion’s roar is loud. → Le rugissement du lion est fort.

The cow’s favorite food is grass → La nourriture favorite de la vache est l’herbe.

The bird’s color is yellow. → Le couleur de l’oiseau est jaune.

Dogs’ best friends are men. → Les amis des chiens sont les hommes.

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stephen

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Common European Framework of Reference for Languages

The CEFR is an international standard used to describe language ability. Here are specific details of the CEFR for this topic.

General Explanation:
Can understand and use familiar everyday expressions and very basic phrases aimed at the satisfaction of needs of a concrete type. Can introduce him/herself and others and can ask and answer questions about personal details such as where he/she lives, people he/she knows and things he/she has. Can interact in a simple way provided the other person talks slowly and clearly and is prepared to help.
Specific Capabilities at this Level
Writing:
I can write a short, simple postcard, for example sending holiday greetings. I can fill in forms with personal details, for example entering my name, nationality and address on a hotel registration form.
Spoken Production:
I can use simple phrases and sentences to describe where I live and people I know.
Spoken Interaction:
I can interact in a simple way provided the other person is prepared to repeat or rephrase things at a slower rate of speech and help me formulate what I’m trying to say. I can ask and answer simple questions in areas of immediate need or on very familiar topics.
Reading:
I can understand familiar names, words and very simple sentences, for example on notices and posters or in catalogues.
Listening:
I can recognize familiar words and very basic phrases concerning myself, my family and immediate concrete surroundings when people speak slowly and clearly.