What are Possessive Adjectives in French?
Possessive adjectives are words that show who owns or belongs to something. In French, they change based on gender, number and whose item it is.
Possessive adjectives (mon, ma, mes, ton, ta, tes, son, sa, ses, notre, votre, leur) show ownership and agree with the noun they describe in gender and number.
- •mon/ma/mes — my
- •ton/ta/tes — your (informal)
- •son/sa/ses — his/her/its
- •notre/nos — our
- •votre/vos — your (formal)
- •leur/leurs — their
Step-by-step worked examples
Fill in: ___ mère est professeur (my mother is a teacher)
mère = feminine singular use ma answer: Ma mère est professeur
Fill in: ___ livres sont sur la table (his/her books are on the table)
livres = plural use ses (regardless of gender, plural always -s) answer: Ses livres sont sur la table
Fill in: ___ professeurs sont sympas (our teachers are nice)
professeurs = plural, we = plural owner use notre before plural answer: Nos professeurs sont sympas
Flashcards
Quick quiz
Q1.___ stylo (my pen)
Q2.___ chaises (her chairs)
Q3.___ école (our school)
Q4.___ amies (your girlfriends, formal)
The full card deck, worked steps and AI-tutor support for “What are Possessive Adjectives in French?” are in Notek — study by hand before your exam.
Common mistakes
Using mon for all words meaning 'my'. — Correct: mon = masculine singular, ma = feminine singular, mes = plural.
Matching possessive to the owner's gender. — Correct: Match to the noun's gender instead.
Forgetting plurals change to -s/-x. — Correct: Always check the noun's number — mes not ma.
Confusing notre/nos and votre/vos. — Correct: notre/votre before singular, nos/vos before plural.
FAQ
What are possessive adjectives in French?
Words showing who owns something (mon, ma, mes, ton, ta, tes, son, sa, ses, notre, nos, votre, vos, leur, leurs).
Do possessive adjectives agree with the owner?
No — they agree with the noun being possessed (gender + number).
What is the difference between mon and ma?
mon = masculine or vowel-starting noun; ma = feminine noun starting with a consonant.
How do you say 'their book' and 'their books'?
Singular: son/sa/ses (or leur); plural: leurs (always).