Possessive Determiners
Possessive determiners indicate ownership and affiliation. They always come before a noun. For example:
Native
Translation
C'est le livre d'Harry Potter. C'est son livre.
This is Harry Potter's book. This is his book.
Types of Possessive Determiners
Here are all the French possessive determiners.
| 1. person singular | mon, ma, mes | 1. person plural | notre, nos |
| 2. person singular | ton, ta, tes | 2. person plural | votre, vos |
| 3. person singular | son, sa, ses | 3. person plural | leur, leurs |
Note: son/sa/ses can mean "his" as well as "hers" and "its."
How to Choose the Right Determiner?
Rule 1: The possessive determiner depends on the number and gender of the property.
Native
Translation
ton chat
your cat
ta voiture
your car
tes voitures
your cars
Note: Before a vowel or a silent h the determiners ma, ta, and sa become mon, ton, and son.
Native
Translation
Mon amie.
My friend.
Leur or Leurs?
Rule 2: leur is used when something belongs to several people in common (no matter, if it’s a masculine or feminine noun).
Native
Translation
Les enfants embrassent leur maman.
The children are kissing their mom.
Rule 3: leurs is used when several people have several things in common (no matter, if it’s a masculine or feminine noun).
Native
Translation
Les enfants jouent avec leurs jouets.
The children are playing with their toys.
Quiz
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correct answers.