Language/French/Grammar/Possessive-determiners
The possessive determiner is used to show possession. For example, "mon", "ta" and "ses" are possessive determiners.
Possessive determinants, sometimes called "possessive adjectives" are words like my, his, our in English.
In English, the choice of the possessive determinant sometimes depends on the sex of the owner: his indicates that the owner is male, while her indicates that the owner is female. In English, the choice of the possessive determinant does not depend on whether the "thing possessed" is singular or plural. (That is, you can say his book or his books.)
In French, things are slightly different:
The choice of determinant depends on the gender of the name owned, not the gender of the owner; There are different forms of the determinant if the noun is plural.
Summary table of possessive determiners
| 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) |
Possessive determiners agreement
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
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' (h muet):
| 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
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