emploi des pronoms possessifs grammar in French

Language: French
Level: B2
Unit: Pronoms et leurs emplois
Practice types: 0

What this grammar point covers

Possessive pronouns in French replace a noun and show who owns something. They agree with the gender and number of the noun they replace.

When to use it

Use French possessive pronouns to avoid repeating a noun and to show possession. They replace a noun that has already been mentioned or is clear from the context.

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

Ce livre est le mien.

English: This book is mine.

Voici ta chaise et voilà la mienne.

English: Here is your chair and there is mine.

Leurs enfants jouent avec les nôtres.

English: Their children are playing with ours.

Ta voiture est rouge, la sienne est bleue.

English: Your car is red, hers/his is blue.

Nos idées sont différentes des vôtres.

English: Our ideas are different from yours.

Tips

Always match the possessive pronoun to the gender and number of the noun it replaces, not to the owner.
Possessive pronouns in French are always used with the definite article (le, la, les).
Do not confuse possessive pronouns with possessive adjectives (mon, ton, son, etc.).