Ce livre est le mien.
English: This book is mine.
- Language
- French
- Level
- B1
- Unit
- Pronoms
- Practice types
- 0
What this grammar point covers
French possessive pronouns (pronoms possessifs) are words that replace a noun and show who owns or possesses something. They mean 'mine', 'yours', 'his', 'hers', etc., but in French.
When to use it
Use French possessive pronouns to replace a noun that has already been mentioned, to avoid repeating it. They agree in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) with the thing owned, not the owner.
Key forms
- le mien / la mienne / les miens / les miennes
- le tien / la tienne / les tiens / les tiennes
- le sien / la sienne / les siens / les siennes
- le nôtre / la nôtre / les nôtres
- le vôtre / la vôtre / les vôtres
- le leur / la leur / les leurs
Examples
Où sont les tiennes ?
English: Where are yours? (feminine plural)
La voiture rouge, c'est la sienne.
English: The red car, it's his/hers.
Nos idées sont différentes des leurs.
English: Our ideas are different from theirs.
Tips
- Always match the pronoun to the gender and number of the noun being replaced, not the person who owns it.
- Possessive pronouns in French always have a definite article (le, la, les) in front.
- Do not confuse possessive pronouns (le mien) with possessive adjectives (mon, ma, mes).
Exceptions and edge cases
- After the preposition 'à', the article contracts: 'au mien', 'aux nôtres', etc.
- For plural owners (nous, vous, ils/elles), there is only one form for both masculine and feminine plural (les nôtres, les vôtres, les leurs).