Unlike in English, in French, singular subjects have three possessive adjectives: masculine, feminine, plural.
Possessive adjectives of singular subjects in French
Look at these sentences:
Note that the equivalent of 'my', 'your' or 'his/her' etc. are:
Singular | Plural | ||
English | (masc objects) | (fem objects) | (masc/fem) |
my | mon |
ma |
mes |
your (tu) | ton |
ta |
tes |
his/her | son |
sa |
ses |
Note the similarity of the forms.
These are called possessive adjectives.
IMPORTANT: It's tempting to try to 'agree' these with the gender of the owner but only the first letter is determined by the owner (m = my; t = your, s = his/her) etc. The rest of the adjective is related to the gender and number of the thing they own.
More Possessive Adjectives
Notre/nos/votre/vos/leur/leurs = our/your/their (French Possessive Adjectives)
and the more advanced
Common mistakes with mon/ma/mes, ton/ta/tes and son/sa/ses (French Possessive Adjectives)
Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Brainmap today »