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French grammar · Level A1

Mon, ma, mes: possessive adjectives in French

Possessive adjectives — “my, your, his, our…” — go before the noun instead of an article. The key rule: gender and number follow the thing owned, not the owner. So “his mother” and “her mother” are both sa mère, and “his father” and “her father” are both son père.

QuizContents
Contents
  1. Table of possessive adjectives
  2. Agreement with the thing owned
  3. Mon instead of ma before a vowel
  4. Son or leur?
  5. Common mistakes
  6. Quiz
  7. FAQ

Table of possessive adjectives

Possessive adjectives
Ownermasculinefeminineplural
jemonmames
tutontates
il / ellesonsases
nousnotrenotrenos
vousvotrevotrevos
ils / ellesleurleurleurs
  • C’est mon frère.This is my brother.
  • Voici ma maison.Here’s my house.
  • Où sont tes clés ?Where are your keys?
  • Nous aimons notre ville.We love our town.

Agreement with the thing owned

The form follows the gender and number of the thing owned. Son, sa, ses mean both “his” and “her” — the context shows who the owner is.

  • Pierre aime sa mère.Pierre loves his mother.
  • Marie aime son père.Marie loves her father.
  • Ils visitent leurs grands-parents.They visit their grandparents.

Tip: There’s no special word for “one’s own”: Je prends mon sac — I take my bag.

Mon instead of ma before a vowel

Before a feminine word starting with a vowel or a silent h, use mon, ton, son instead of ma, ta, sa — it’s easier to say: mon amie, ton école, son histoire. If an adjective starting with a consonant comes between them, ma returns: ma meilleure amie.

  • Mon amie s’appelle Léa.My friend’s name is Léa.
  • C’est ton idée ?Is it your idea?
  • Elle raconte son histoire.She tells her story.

Son or leur?

Son, sa, ses for one owner (he, she). Leur, leurs for several owners (they). Leur before one thing, leurs before several.

  • Ils ont vendu leur voiture.They sold their car.
  • Les enfants jouent avec leurs amis.The children are playing with their friends.

Common mistakes

The mistakes people make most often — and the right way.

  • Wrong: Marie aime sa père.

    Right: Marie aime son père.

    père is masculine: son, even though the owner is a woman.

  • Wrong: Ma amie est là.

    Right: Mon amie est là.

    Before a vowel: mon.

  • Wrong: Ils aiment sa maison.

    Right: Ils aiment leur maison.

    Several owners: leur.

  • Wrong: Leurs voiture est rouge.

    Right: Leur voiture est rouge.

    One thing: leur, no -s.

Possessive adjectives: mon, ma, mes

Quiz

10 questions: choose the right option — the explanation appears straight away.

  1. Question 1

    Je te présente _____ sœur.

  2. Question 2

    Tu as _____ clés ?

  3. Question 3

    Pierre aime _____ mère.

  4. Question 4

    Marie téléphone à _____ père.

  5. Question 5

    J’adore _____ école.

  6. Question 6

    Nous aimons _____ ville.

  7. Question 7

    Les enfants jouent avec _____ chien.

  8. Question 8

    Vous avez _____ passeports ?

  9. Question 9

    Ils ont vendu _____ voiture.

  10. Question 10

    Elle raconte _____ histoire.

Correct: 0 of 10

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FAQ

Didn’t find your answer? Send us a request — we’ll tell you everything.

How do you say “his” and “her” in French?

The same way: son, sa, ses. The form depends on the thing owned: son livre — his / her book, sa maison — his / her house.

Why mon amie and not ma amie?

Before a vowel or a silent h, feminine words take mon, ton, son to avoid two vowels clashing: mon amie, ton école.

What is the difference between leur and leurs?

Both mean “their”. Leur goes before one thing (leur maison), leurs before several (leurs enfants).

Other topics

All topicsFrench verb conjugationFrench irregular verbs

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