Language/French/Grammar/Possessive-determiners
[CHANGED]
The possessive determiner, also known as the "possessive adjective," is a grammatical element employed to indicate ownership or possession. Examples of possessive determiners include "mon," "ta," and "ses," which can be translated to "my," "your," and "their" in English.
In the English language, the selection of the appropriate possessive determiner may sometimes be contingent on the gender of the individual who possesses the item. For instance, the use of "his" suggests that the possessor is male, whereas "her" implies a female possessor. It is important to note, however, that the French language follows a different set of rules for choosing the correct possessive determiner. In French, the choice is based on the gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) of the object or entity being possessed, rather than the gender of the possessor.
⚠ The choice of determinant depends on the gender of the noun owned, not the gender of the owner; There are different forms of the determinant if the noun is plural. |
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Summary table of possessive determiners[edit | edit source]
First person | Masculine | mon (my) | notre (our) |
---|---|---|---|
Feminine | ma (my) | ||
Plural | mes (my) | nos (our) | |
Second person | Masculine | ton (your) | votre (your) |
Feminine | ta (your) | ||
Plural | tes (your) | vos (your) | |
Third person | Masculine | son (his, her, its) | leur (his, her, its) |
Feminine | sa (his, her, its) | ||
Plural | ses (his, her, its) | leurs (their) |
French
subject |
English determiners | French determiners | Examples: |
---|---|---|---|
je | my | mon (m)
ma (f) mes (pl) |
my brother
my sister
my friends |
tu | your | ton (m)
ta (f) tes (pl) |
your brother
your sister
your friends |
ilelleon | his, her, one's, its | son (m)
sa (f) ses (pl) |
his/her/one's brother
his/her/one's sister
his/her/one's friends |
nous | our | notre (m/f)
nos (pl) |
our brother
our sister
our friends |
vous | your | votre (m/f)
vos (pl) |
your brother
your sister
your friends |
ilselles | their | leur (m/f)
leurs (pl) |
their brother
their sister
their friends |
Possessive determiners agreement[edit | edit source]
Possessive determiners agree in gender and number with the nouns they precede:
French | English |
---|---|
Il a levé son verre | He raised his glass |
Elle a rempli sa tasse | She filled her cup |
Elle a rayé ses lunettes | She scratched her glasses |
Feminine singular forms ma, ta, sa
[edit | edit source]
The feminine singular forms ma, ta, sa
become mon, ton, son
when they immediately precede a noun or adjective beginning with:
- a vowel or
- a "silent
h
" ("Unh
muet" in French):
French | English | BUT ⇾ | French | English |
---|---|---|---|---|
ma classe | my class | mon école | my school | |
sa permission | her permission | son autorisation | her authorisation | |
ta hardiesse | your audacity | ton hésitation | your hesitation |
Determiners votre, vos
[edit | edit source]
The determiners votre, vos
can designate more than one possessor:
- Messieurs et mesdames, votre dîner est servi !
Ladies and gentlemen, your dinner is served!
and as a polite form:
- Suivez-moi, madame, votre dîner est prêt
Follow me, lady, your dinner is ready
Video - possessive adjectives (determiners) in French (mon, ma, mes..)[edit | edit source]
A quick tutorial explaining how to use French possessive adjectives (possessive determiners).
Other chapters[edit | edit source]
Videos[edit | edit source]
French Possessive Adjectives (Masculine Singular) - YouTube[edit | edit source]
Other Lessons[edit | edit source]
- Intransitive Verb constructions
- Nouns which exist only in plural form
- Impersonal subject restricted to il
- Adjectives modified by adverbs and prepositional phrases
- Stressed pronouns standing alone
- Combinations of adjectives
- Degree adverbs
- Time adverbs
- Position of direct and indirect object pronouns
- Nouns which have the same spoken form but two different written forms
- Pronominal Verbs
- Use of il, ce, cela and ça as impersonal pronouns
- Stressed pronouns with même, aussi, seul, autres, tous and numerals
- Adjectives used as adverbs
- Reflexive and reciprocal verbs