Possessive Pronouns in French

In French, possessive pronouns are used to indicate ownership or belonging and replace a noun to avoid repetition. These pronouns must agree in gender and number with the noun they refer to. For example, “la sienne” means “hers” or “his” when referring to a feminine object, while “le sien” refers to a masculine object.

In addition to possessive pronouns, possession in French can be expressed using possessive adjectives like mon, ma, mes (my) or son, sa, ses (his/her/its), which directly precede the noun. In French, another way to indicate possession is by using the “de” construction, which is equivalent to the English “of” or ‘s. This is often used to clarify ownership, especially in cases where possessive pronouns or adjectives might not provide enough context.

Understanding these nuances allows for clear communication when expressing ownership in French.

Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns in French, like in English, are used to replace a noun that has already been mentioned and to indicate ownership or belonging. They differ from possessive adjectives (such as mon, ma, mes – “my”) because they replace the noun altogether, rather than modifying it. French possessive pronouns must agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they refer to, not with the owner.

Forms of French Possessive Pronouns

French possessive pronouns have different forms depending on the gender and number of the noun being replaced. The table below shows the various forms based on singular and plural as well as masculine and feminine nouns:

English Meaning	Masculine Singular	Feminine Singular	Masculine Plural	Feminine Plural
Mine	le mien	la mienne	les miens	les miennes
Yours (informal)	le tien	la tienne	les tiens	les tiennes
His/Hers/Its	le sien	la sienne	les siens	les siennes
Ours	le nôtre	la nôtre	les nôtres	les nôtres
Yours (formal/plural)	le vôtre	la vôtre	les vôtres	les vôtres
Theirs	le leur	la leur	les leurs	les leurs

Usage of Possessive Pronouns

Possessive pronouns are used in place of a noun and possessive adjective. Instead of saying, “C’est ma maison” (That’s my house), you would say, “C’est la mienne” (That’s mine). Here are the key points:

1. Agree in gender and number with the noun: The possessive pronoun must match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun it replaces. For example:
   • Le sien (his/hers/its) is used when referring to a masculine singular object like livre (book).
   • La sienne is used for a feminine singular object like maison (house).
   • Les siens and les siennes are used for plural objects (masculine and feminine, respectively).
2. Replacing the noun:
   A possessive pronoun is typically used when the noun has already been mentioned to avoid repetition:
   • C’est son livre. C’est le sien. (That’s his book. It’s his.)
   • Ce sont ses chaussures. Ce sont les siennes. (Those are her shoes. They are hers.)
3. Possessive pronouns after à or de:
   When possessive pronouns follow the prepositions “à” or “de,” they behave like regular nouns. For example:
   • Ces clés sont à moi, pas à toi. (These keys are mine, not yours.)
   • C’est le livre de mon frère, pas le tien. (It’s my brother’s book, not yours.)

Comparing Possessive Pronouns with Possessive Adjectives

Possessive adjectives (such as mon, ton, son – “my,” “your,” “his/her”) are placed directly before a noun, whereas possessive pronouns replace the noun entirely. Here’s a comparison:

• Possessive adjective: C’est mon livre. (That is my book.)
• Possessive pronoun: C’est le mien. (That is mine.)

Special Case: Son, sa, ses vs. Le sien, la sienne, les siens, les siennes

Possessive adjectives like son, sa, ses depend on the gender and number of the noun that follows them:

• Son (his/her/its) for a masculine singular noun: son livre (his/her/its book).
• Sa (his/her/its) for a feminine singular noun: sa maison (his/her/its house).
• Ses (his/her/its) for plural nouns: ses amis (his/her/its friends).

Possessive pronouns like le sien, la sienne, les siens, les siennes work similarly but replace the noun rather than modify it.

Examples of Possessive Pronouns in Sentences

1. Ma voiture est rouge, et la sienne est bleue.
   (My car is red, and hers is blue.)
2. Tu as déjà vu mon chat? Voici le tien.
   (Have you already seen my cat? Here is yours.)
3. Nos idées sont similaires, mais les leurs sont différentes.
   (Our ideas are similar, but theirs are different.)
4. C’est mon sac, pas le tien!
   (That’s my bag, not yours!)

Exercises

1: Fill in the Blanks

Replace the possessive adjective with the correct possessive pronoun. Remember to match the gender and number of the noun.

1. C’est mon livre. C’est __________.
2. Ce sont tes chaussures. Ce sont __________.
3. C’est sa maison (f). C’est __________.
4. Ce sont leurs amis (m). Ce sont __________.
5. C’est notre voiture. C’est __________.

2: Multiple Choice

Choose the correct possessive pronoun to complete each sentence.

1. C’est le stylo de Marie. C’est ____.
   a) le sien
   b) la sienne
   c) les siens
2. Ce sont les cahiers de Paul. Ce sont ____.
   a) les siens
   b) les siennes
   c) le sien
3. Voici ma sœur. Et voici ____ (her).
   a) le sienne
   b) la sienne
   c) le sien
4. Ces fleurs sont pour toi, ce sont ____.
   a) les tiennes
   b) le tien
   c) la tienne
5. Cette voiture est à eux, c’est ____.
   a) le leur
   b) la leur
   c) les leurs

3: Rewrite the Sentences

Rewrite the following sentences by replacing the noun and possessive adjective with a possessive pronoun.

1. C’est mon vélo.
2. Ce sont tes crayons.
3. C’est sa chaise.
4. Ce sont nos sacs.
5. C’est leur jardin.

4: Match the Possessive Pronoun

Noun	Possessive Pronoun
1. Les livres (m)	a. La tienne
2. Le chien	b. Les leurs
3. La maison	c. Le nôtre
4. Les enfants	d. Les miens
5. La voiture	e. La sienne

5: Correct the Mistakes

In each of the following sentences, there is an error with the possessive pronoun. Identify and correct the mistake.

1. C’est sa voiture. C’est le sien.
   (Correct: ________________)
2. Voici ses amis. Ce sont les siennes.
   (Correct: ________________)
3. Ces chaussures sont les vôtres, pas la tienne.
   (Correct: ________________)
4. Ce sont les enfants de Marie. Ce sont le leur.
   (Correct: ________________)

Ton stylo est ici, mais je ne trouve pas la tien.
(Correct: ________________)