French grammar · A1-A2
Possessive Adjectives
A clear, example-first explanation built for CLB 6 / B1 — the level you need for TCF / TEF Canada.
Overview
A possessive adjective shows who owns something (my, your, his...). In French, it agrees with the noun owned, not the owner. Son livre = his book OR her book — context tells you which.
Full table of forms
Pick the form by the gender and number of the thing owned.
| Form | Meaning or example |
|---|---|
| je → my | mon (m) / ma (f) / mes (pl) |
| tu → your | ton (m) / ta (f) / tes (pl) |
| il/elle → his/her | son (m) / sa (f) / ses (pl) |
| nous → our | notre (m/f) / nos (pl) |
| vous → your | votre (m/f) / vos (pl) |
| ils/elles → their | leur (m/f) / leurs (pl) |
Examples in context
The article is replaced by the possessive — never both.
- Mon chien est gentil. (My dog is nice.)
- Ma mère travaille à Ottawa.
- Mes parents habitent ici.
- Notre maison est grande.
- Leurs enfants sont à l'école.
IMPORTANT trick: feminine + vowel
Before a feminine noun starting with a vowel or silent h, use mon / ton / son (not ma/ta/sa). This is purely for sound.
- mon amie (not "ma amie") — friend (f)
- ton école (not "ta école") — your school
- son histoire — his/her story
- mon adresse — my address
Common confusion
French does NOT distinguish his vs. her. Son père = his father OR her father. Sa mère = his mother OR her mother.
- Marc aime sa sœur. (Marc loves his sister)
- Julie aime sa sœur. (Julie loves her sister)
Free practice
Drill this in the app
Open the grammar trainer to practise this point with instant feedback and spaced review — free, no signup.
Open the grammar trainer→More grammar
Articles: le, la, les, un, une, des · Verb: être (to be) — Present · Verb: avoir (to have) — Present · Regular -er Verbs (Present) · Negation: ne ... pas · Asking Questions