French grammar: pronoms possessifs

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

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).