Learn how to use French possessive adjectives!

Let me guess—you’ve been cruising along in your French learning journey, and then suddenly you hit a speed bump: possessive adjectives. You’re trying to say something simple like “my cat” or “his book,” and suddenly you’re wondering why it’s mon chat but ma voiture. 

Don’t worry! You’re not alone, and I promise this is one of those concepts that seems a bit tricky at first, but once you get the hang of it, it’ll feel completely natural. Today we’re going to break down French possessive adjectives step by step. I’ll walk you through what they are, how they work, when to use them, and (of course) throw in plenty of examples along the way.

Ready to become a master of possession in French? Let’s go!

What Are French Possessive Adjectives?

Let’s start with the basics. A possessive adjective is a word like “my,” “your,” “his,” or “our.” It goes before a noun to show ownership or relationship.

In English, it’s pretty straightforward:

• my house
• your phone
• his car
• our dog
  

In French, the idea is the same, but the execution is a little more…French (read: there are a few more rules).

The possessive adjective must agree not only with who owns the object, but also with the gender and number of the noun being possessed. That’s right—the gender of the thing being owned, not the person who owns it.

Let me show you what I mean. Here’s a handy chart to keep things organized:

English	Masculine Singular	Feminine Singular	Plural
My	mon	ma	mes
Your (informal)	ton	ta	tes
His/Her/Its	son	sa	ses
Our	notre	notre	nos
Your (formal/plural)	votre	votre	vos
Their	leur	leur	leurs

You May Also Like: French Reflexive Verbs Explained: What They Are and How to Use Them

Mon / Ma / Mes – “My”

In French, the word “my” changes depending on whether the noun is masculine, feminine, or plural.

mon – used before masculine singular nouns

• mon livre (my book)
  
• mon père (my father)
  
• mon stylo (my pen)
  

ma – used before feminine singular nouns

• ma mère (my mother)
  
• ma voiture (my car)
  
• ma maison (my house)
  

mes – used before any plural noun (regardless of gender)

• mes amis (my friends)
  
• mes idées (my ideas)
  
• mes chaussures (my shoes)
  

Important rule: If the feminine noun begins with a vowel or a silent “h,” use mon instead of ma to make pronunciation easier.

• mon amie (my female friend)
  
• mon histoire (my story)
  

This helps avoid a clunky sound between vowel sounds.

Ton / Ta / Tes – “Your” (Informal Singular)

These are used when you’re speaking directly to someone you know well—like a friend, sibling, or someone your age. They match the noun being owned, not the person you’re speaking to.

ton – used before masculine singular nouns

• ton frère (your brother)
  
• ton téléphone (your phone)
  

ta – used before feminine singular nouns

• ta sœur (your sister)
  
• ta veste (your jacket)
  

tes – used for any plural noun

• tes enfants (your children)
  
• tes lunettes (your glasses)
  
• tes idées (your ideas)
  

Vowel rule: Use ton instead of ta if the feminine noun starts with a vowel or silent “h”:

• ton amie (your [female] friend)
  
• ton habitude (your habit)

Son / Sa / Ses – “His,” “Her,” or “Its”

This set is used for third-person singular ownership—but here’s the twist: the adjective is based on the noun’s gender and number, not the person who owns it.

son – used before masculine singular nouns

• son stylo (his/her pen)
  
• son chien (his/her dog)
  

sa – used before feminine singular nouns

• sa maison (his/her house)
  
• sa fille (his/her daughter)
  

ses – used before any plural noun

• ses chaussures (his/her shoes)
  
• ses enfants (his/her children)
  

Why this is confusing for English speakers: We use “his” or “her” depending on the gender of the person who owns the object. French uses son or sa depending on the object itself.

For example:

• Pierre’s dog = son chien (chien is masculine)
• Marie’s dog = son chien (still masculine!)
  

You’ll know whether it means “his” or “her” from context.

Notre / Nos – “Our”

Unlike mon, ton, or son, the possessive adjective for “our” does not change with gender—only with number.

notre – used before any singular noun

• notre professeur (our teacher)
  
• notre maison (our house)
  
• notre enfant (our child)
  

nos – used before plural nouns

• nos voisins (our neighbors)
  
• nos idées (our ideas)
  
• nos vacances (our vacation days)
  

This one’s nice and straightforward: just decide if the noun is singular or plural, and you’re set.

Votre / Vos – “Your” (Formal or Plural)

This set is used in two situations:

1. When you’re speaking to someone formally (like your boss or a stranger).
   
2. When you’re speaking to more than one person, whether formally or informally.
   

Like notre/nos, these do not change based on gender.

votre – used before any singular noun

• votre ordinateur (your computer)
  
• votre voiture (your car)
  
• votre idée (your idea)
  

vos – used before plural nouns

• vos enfants (your children)
  
• vos livres (your books)
  
• vos projets (your plans)
  

You’ll use these a lot in professional or respectful settings. If you’re not sure whether to use tu or vous, default to vous to be polite.

Leur / Leurs – “Their”

This is used when the object belongs to multiple people.

leur – used before any singular noun

• leur frère (their brother)
  
• leur maison (their house)
  

leurs – used before plural nouns

• leurs enfants (their children)
  
• leurs idées (their ideas)
  
• leurs vacances (their holidays)
  

Again, gender doesn’t matter here—just focus on whether the noun is singular or plural.

Also For You: Mastering French Transition Words: The Key to Smooth and Sophisticated Speech

Common Mistakes to Avoid

When you’re learning French possessive adjectives, there are a few classic pitfalls that even intermediate learners run into. Let’s go over some of the most frequent mistakes and, more importantly, how to avoid them.

1. Using the wrong adjective for the noun’s gender

A common misunderstanding is thinking the adjective should match the owner’s gender. But in French, possessive adjectives must agree with the noun they describe, not with the person who owns it.

For example:

• Ma frère (Incorrect, because frère is masculine)
  
• Mon frère (Correct)
  

It doesn’t matter if the speaker is female—frère is masculine, so you need to use mon. Always ask yourself: is the noun masculine or feminine? That’s your guide.

2. Forgetting to use mon, ton, or son before feminine nouns starting with a vowel or silent “h”

Even though you’d normally use ma, ta, or sa before a feminine noun, when that noun starts with a vowel or a mute “h,” French grammar switches to mon, ton, or son to maintain a smoother sound.

For example:

• Ma amie est drôle.
• Mon amie est drôle.

It might feel strange at first—using mon with a feminine noun—but this change is purely for pronunciation. It prevents awkward vowel clashes and keeps the sentence flowing.

This rule applies even when the noun is unmistakably feminine:

• Mon idée (not ma idée)
  
• Ton habitude (not ta habitude)
  

3. Using the singular form when the noun is plural

Sometimes, learners focus so much on gender that they forget to account for number. When the noun is plural, the possessive adjective needs to be plural too—regardless of whether it’s masculine or feminine.

For example:

• Notre enfants sont intelligents. (Incorrect—enfants is plural)
  
• Nos enfants sont intelligents.

The same goes for second-person and third-person possessives:

• Votre livres sont sur la table.
• Vos livres sont sur la table.

Always double-check whether the noun is singular or plural. That alone can often tell you which possessive adjective to use.

4. Translating directly from English

In English, we say “his” or “her” depending on the owner’s gender. French doesn’t work this way. You need to train yourself to look at the noun being possessed, not who it belongs to.

For example:

• Marie aime son chat.
  Here, son refers to chat (a masculine noun), not to Marie. So even though Marie is female, we use son because chat is masculine.
  

This can feel counterintuitive at first, especially if you’re thinking in English. But it’s one of those habits that gets easier with repetition and exposure.

You’ve Got This!

French possessive adjectives are all about matching the thing being owned, not the owner. Once you get used to checking for gender and number, they become second nature. And the more you use them—out loud, in writing, or even just mentally while looking at your surroundings—the more fluent you’ll sound.

At Strommen, we love helping learners make sense of grammar topics just like this one. Whether you’re a total beginner or polishing up advanced skills, our tutors tailor each lesson to your goals and learning style. If you’d like to practice possessive adjectives in real conversation, book a class with us!