Question

French Mini-Tutorial: Possessive Adjective & Pronouns

Answer 1

\({\bf{Possessive~Adjectives:}}\) modify nouns and indicate ownership. think pronouns like mine, yours, etc. important note: possessive adjectives match the gender + number of the noun being modified.

singular: (masc./fem.)
my: mon/ma*
your: ton/ta*
his/her/its/one's: son/sa*
our: notre/notre
your: votre/votre
their: leur/leur

in front of a noun starting with a vowel/h muet, ma --> mon, ta --> ton, sa ---> son. this is to aid with pronunciation.

J'aime mon chat. (I love my cat.)
Elle nettoie sa chambre. (She cleans her room.)
Vous appréciez son amitié. (You value her friendship. Note that even though amitié is feminine, it starts with an a, thus taking son rather than sa as a pronoun.)

Answer 2

cont.

plural: (both masc. and fem.)
my: mes
your: tes
his/her/its/one's: ses
our: nos
your: (formal) vos
their: leurs

examples:
Mes amis sont les meilleurs. (My friends are the best. Remember, the pronoun matches "amis", not the implied owner "Je")
Leurs réalisations sont formidables. (Their accomplishments are great.)
Ils peuvent emprunter nos vêtements. (They can borrow our clothes.)

Answer 3

\({\bf{Possessive~Pronouns:}}\) replace nouns owned by a subject. think pronouns like mine, yours, his, hers, etc. as with possessive adjectives, they match the noun being replaced, not the owner.

singular: (masc./fem.)
mine: le mien/la mienne
yours: le tien/la tienne
his/hers/its: le sien/la sienne
ours: le nôtre/la nôtre
yours: le vôtre/la vôtre
theirs: le leur/la leur

examples:
Le vôtre est mon préféré. (Yours is my favorite.)
J'ai le leur. (I have theirs (male noun.))
Elle veut récupérer le sien. (She wants hers (male noun) back.)

Answer 4

cont.
plural:
mine: les miens/les miennes
yours: les tiens/les tiennes
his/hers/its: les siens/les siennes
ours: les nôtres/las nôtres
yours: les vôtres/las vôtres
theirs: les leurs/las leurs

examples:
Vous avez oublié vos livres? Voulez-vous emprunter les miens? (You forgot your books? Would you like to borrow mine?)
Je combats avec mes frères. (I compete with my brothers. Vous entendez-vous avec les vôtres? (I fight with my brothers. Do you get along with yours?)
L'hôtel n'a plus de serviettes. Nous avons apporté les nôtres. (The hotel has no towels left. We brought ours.)

Answer 5

\({\bf{References:}}\)

Rochester, Myrna B. Easy French Step-by-Step, United States, McGraw-Hill Education, 2009, 208-211.

CollinsDictionary for French and English translations

Forvo (https://forvo.com/), a French pronunciation database with samples from native French speakers