Is there any post explaining difference between indirect object pronouns and possessive pronouns?

Prachi S.A1Kwiziq community member

Is there any post explaining difference between indirect object pronouns and possessive pronouns?

Asked 2 years ago
Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor Correct answer

Indirect object pronouns have really nothing in common with possessive pronouns. The former stand in for any kind of indirect object, whereas the latter denote to whom something belongs. 

Indirect object pronouns:

1st person sing.: je --> me
2nd person sing.: tu --> te
3rd person sing.: il/elle --> lui

1st person plural: nous --> nous
2nd person plural: vous --> vous
3rd person plural: ils/elles --> leur

Examples:
Je parle à Adam. --> Je lui parle.
Je parle à Marie. --> Je lui parle.
Je parle à Adam et Marie. --> Je leur parle.

Posessive pronouns (masculine noun/feminine noun/plural noun):

1st person sing.: mon/ma/mes
2nd person sing.: ton/ta/tes
3rd person sing.: son/sa/ses

1st person plural: nous --> notre/notre/nos
2nd person plural: vous --> votre/votre/vos
3rd person plural: ils/elles --> leur/leur/leurs

Examples:
Ce sont mes livres. (1st person singular and plural noun)
C'est mon livre. (1^st person singular and masculine noun)
C'est votre livre. (2nd person plural and masculine noun)
Ce sont vos livres. (2nd person plural and plural noun)
Ce sont leurs livres. (3rd person plural and plural noun)
Elle est ma copine. (3rd person singular and feminine noun)

CécileKwiziq team member

Just to add to what Chris said take a look at the following pages for French possessive adjectives and pronouns

Mon, ma, mes; ton, ta, tes; son, sa, ses = my; your; his / her in French (possessive adjectives)

Le nôtre/le vôtre/le leur/etc = Ours/yours/theirs (French Possessive Pronouns)

Hope this helps!

Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

In the above answer, possessive adjectives and pronouns have been conflated into the one post as if they were the same. 

They are not - the references Cécile added are useful for a first port of call.

Anne D.C1Kwiziq Q&A regular contributor

These pronouns are confusing because the selfsame word can have more than one function and meaning (which you can deduce from the position of the word in the phrase).

e.g. Leur can be either a possessive pronoun for several people of either sex owning one thing (leur chien) or an indirect object pronoun for more than one person of either sex (je leur parle)

Lui is the indirect object pronoun for "to him" or "to her" (je lui parle) but is also used as the stress pronoun for a male (chez lui, the female version is chez elle).

The only way I managed to remember it was to write out and learn four lists: direct object and indirect object personal pronouns, stress (tonic) pronouns and possessive pronouns, and invent short phrases to fix them in the memory.

Is there any post explaining difference between indirect object pronouns and possessive pronouns?

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Let me take a look at that...