How to Use French Possessive Pronouns

French possessive pronouns can be tricky for English speakers, as they agree in gender and number with the noun they replace, not the possessor. This guide will help you understand and use them correctly.

Basic Forms of French Possessive Pronouns

French possessive pronouns change based on:

• The gender and number of the noun they replace
• The person and number of the possessor

Here's a table of the basic forms:

| Possessor | Masculine | Feminine | Plural | |-----------|-----------|----------|--------| | Mine | le mien | la mienne| les miens/miennes | | Yours (singular) | le tien | la tienne | les tiens/tiennes | | His/Hers/Its | le sien | la sienne | les siens/siennes | | Ours | le nôtre | la nôtre | les nôtres | | Yours (plural) | le vôtre | la vôtre | les vôtres | | Theirs | le leur | la leur | les leurs |

Usage Examples

Let's look at some examples to see how these pronouns work in context:

1. "This book is mine." - "Ce livre est le mien."
2. "Her car is faster than mine." - "Sa voiture est plus rapide que la mienne."
3. "Our house is bigger than theirs." - "Notre maison est plus grande que la leur."

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Don't confuse possessive pronouns with possessive adjectives:

   • Correct: "C'est le mien." (It's mine.)
   • Incorrect: "C'est mon." (This doesn't make sense in French)

2. Remember to match the pronoun with the noun it replaces:

   • "J'ai perdu ma montre. As-tu vu la mienne?" (I lost my watch. Have you seen mine?)

Practice Exercise

Try translating these sentences to French:

1. This pen is mine, not yours.
2. Our children are younger than theirs.
3. Is this jacket his or hers?

(Answers: 1. Ce stylo est le mien, pas le tien. 2. Nos enfants sont plus jeunes que les leurs. 3. Cette veste est la sienne (à lui) ou la sienne (à elle) ?)

By mastering French possessive pronouns, you'll be able to express ownership more precisely and naturally in your French conversations.