My, your, his
mon, ma, mes, and how to say whose.
Possessive words agree with the thing owned, not with the owner. son, sa and ses mean "his", "her" or "its", depending on the context.
| Owner | Masculine | Feminine | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | mon | ma | mes |
| tu | ton | ta | tes |
| il, elle | son | sa | ses |
| nous | notre | notre | nos |
| vous | votre | votre | vos |
| ils, elles | leur | leur | leurs |
son père is "his father" or "her father"; sa mère is "his mother" or "her mother". To make clear whose, add à lui or à elle: sa voiture à elle.
Before a feminine noun starting with a vowel, ma, ta and sa become mon, ton and son: mon amie, son école.
Whose, with de
French has no 's. The owner follows de: le livre de Paul "Paul's book", la voiture de mon père "my father's car".
Mine, yours
| Masculine | Feminine | Plural | |
|---|---|---|---|
| mine | le mien | la mienne | les miens, les miennes |
| yours (tu) | le tien | la tienne | les tiens, les tiennes |
| his, hers | le sien | la sienne | les siens, les siennes |
| ours | le nôtre | la nôtre | les nôtres |
| yours (vous) | le vôtre | la vôtre | les vôtres |
| theirs | le leur | la leur | les leurs |
In speech, c'est à moi "it's mine" is commoner: être à + a pronoun says who owns something.
Body parts
With body parts French uses le, la, les, and a pronoun shows whose: Il se lave les mains "He washes his hands", J'ai mal à la tête "My head hurts".
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Nouns and adjectives cards.
What decides between son and sa?
The gender of the thing owned, not of the owner.
How do you say "my friend" for a female friend?
mon amie.
What are the forms of "my"?
mon (masculine), ma (feminine), mes (plural).
What's "our" in French?
notre, plural nos.
How do you say "Paul's book"?
le livre de Paul.
How do you say "It's mine" in everyday French?
C'est à moi.
When is "their" leurs rather than leur?
When the thing owned is plural: leurs enfants.
How do you say "I'm washing my hands"?
Je me lave les mains.