Possessive adjectives in

French
talking about things that belong
to someone
Possessive adjectives

In English, when we want to say something is ours we

simply say “it’s my ….”
In French, it is a little more complicated.
The words used for “my”, “your”, “his” and “her” all
change depending on the thing they are describing…
…and whether it is masculine or feminine, singular or
plural.
Grammar
Copy this table
jotters

masculine feminine plural

my mon ma mes

your ton ta tes

his / her son sa ses

Grammar
Plural possessive adjectives
jotters

masc fem Plural

our notre notre nos

your (pl) votre votre vos

their leur leur leurs

Examples
1. My mother = ma mère
(because ‘mère’ is feminine and singular)

2. My father = mon père

(because ‘père’ is masculine and singular)

3. My parents = mes parents

(because ‘parents’ is a plural word)
The really important thing to remember is that
the correct possessive adjective depends on the
object (ie the thing being described) and not
on the subject (the person describing it)
This is the opposite of what we do in English.
So…
Her mother = sa mère.
So how would you say ‘his mother’?
Sa mère!
It doesn’t matter if the person is a boy or a girl,
the word ‘mère’ is still feminine.
Classwork Practice time! Translate into French
jotters

1. my parents 1. mes parents

2. his sister 2. sa soeur
3. her uncle 3. son oncle
4. your (tu) sisters 4. tes soeurs
5. our Mum 5. notre mère
6. your (vous) parents 6. vos parents
7. their baby 7. leur bébé
8. their babies 8. leurs bébés
9. your (vous) aunt 9. votre tante
10. our cousins 10. nos cousins
classwork
jotters Practice time! Use the dictionary to help you

1. our glasses 1. nos lunettes

2. their rings 2. leurs bagues
3. his watch 3. sa montre
4. your (s) flag 4. ton drapeau
5. their dishwasher 5. leur machine à vaisselle
6. your (s) voice 6. ta voix
7. our bin 7. notre poubelle
8. my pupils 8. mes élèves
9. her job 9. son métier
10. his ideas 10. ses idées
Classwork
jotters Pratiquons!

So how did you do…?

See if you can figure out how 1. ma chemise

to say these in French:
2. ta jupe
1. My shirt
3. sa cravate
2. Your skirt
4. mes chaussettes
3. His tie
5. ses soeurs
4. My socks
6. ton pantalon
5. His sisters
7. ta robe
6. Your trousers
8. ses chaussures
7. Your dress
9. son frère
8. Her shoes
10. sa veste
9. Her brother
10. His blazer