1. French Possessive Adjectives (Mon, Ma, Mes, Ton, Ta, Tes...)
In English, choosing between "his" and "her" depends on the owner ("Paul loves his mother; Marie loves her father"). In French, a possessive adjective agrees in gender and number with the NOUN OWNED (the object or person possessed), NEVER with the gender of the owner!
| Owner (Subject) | English Meaning | Masculine Singular Noun (+ Fem. Vowel / Silent H!) |
Feminine Singular Noun (Consonant Start Only) |
Plural Noun (Masculine & Feminine) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Je | my | mon mon frère / mon amie |
ma ma sœur / ma voiture |
mes mes parents / mes clés |
| Tu | your (informal) | ton ton livre / ton école |
ta ta maison / ta chaise |
tes tes amis / tes chaussures |
| Il / Elle / On | his / her / its / one's | son son père / son histoire |
sa sa mère / sa table |
ses ses enfants / ses idées |
| Nous | our | notre notre professeur |
notre notre classe |
nos nos livres / nos cours |
| Vous | your (formal / plural) | votre votre passeport |
votre votre valise |
vos vos billets / vos affaires |
| Ils / Elles | their | leur leur jardin |
leur leur voiture |
leurs leurs enfants / leurs chiens |
• Paul cherche sa veste. (his jacket — veste is fem.)
• Marie cherche son sac. (her bag — sac is masc.)
• C'est mon amie (never ma amie!)
• J'aime ton école (never ta école!)
• Ils aiment leur maison. (1 house)
• Ils aiment leurs enfants. (2+ children)
2. French Demonstrative Adjectives: Ce, Cet, Cette, Ces (This / That / These / Those)
To point out a specific person or object ("this/that book", "these/those shoes"), French uses the demonstrative adjective ce, cet, cette, ces. Just like articles, it agrees with the noun's gender and number:
| Form | When to Use It | French Examples | English Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| ce | Masculine singular noun starting with a consonant | ce livre, ce train, ce matin, ce restaurant | this / that |
| cet | Masculine singular noun starting with a vowel or silent h | cet ordinateur, cet appartement, cet homme, cet hôtel, cet arbre | this / that |
| cette | ALL feminine singular nouns (consonant, vowel, or silent h!) | cette table, cette voiture, cette école, cette histoire, cette amie | this / that |
| ces | ALL plural nouns (masculine & feminine) | ces livres, ces hommes, ces écoles, ces chaussures | these / those |
Adding "-ci" (Here / This) vs. "-là" (There / That)
Because ce/cet/cette can mean both "this" and "that", you can attach -ci (here/this one) or -là (there/that one) with a hyphen to the end of the noun when comparing two items:
• Tu préfères ce pull-ci ou ce pull-là ? (Do you prefer this sweater here or that sweater there?)
• Ces chaussures-ci sont confortables, mais ces chaussures-là sont trop petites.
3. Side-by-Side Comparison: Vowel Rules in Possessives vs. Demonstratives
This comparison table solves the most common confusion in French A1 exams—what happens before a masculine or feminine noun starting with a vowel or silent h:
| Noun Type | Sample Noun | With Possessive (My) | With Demonstrative (This/That) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Masculine + Consonant | sac (bag) | mon sac | ce sac |
| Masculine + Vowel / Silent H | ordinateur / hôtel | mon ordinateur / mon hôtel | cet ordinateur / cet hôtel |
| Feminine + Consonant | voiture (car) | ma voiture | cette voiture |
| Feminine + Vowel / Silent H | école / histoire | mon école / mon histoire (Changes to mon/ton/son!) |
cette école / cette histoire (Stays cette — already ends in a T sound!) |
- Never Write "Ma amie" or "Sa adresse": Even though amie, école, adresse, idée, université, histoire are 100% feminine, you MUST use mon, ton, son because they begin with a vowel or silent h.
- Watch What Comes Immediately After Mon/Ma: If a feminine consonant adjective stands between the possessive and a vowel-initial noun, go back to ma, ta, sa: mon amie → ma meilleure amie (because meilleure starts with consonant m!).
- Cet vs. Cette: Use cet (1 t) ONLY for masculine singular vowel/silent-h nouns (cet étudiant, cet hôpital). Use cette (-tte) for ALL feminine singular nouns (cette étudiante, cette école).
- Notre/Votre vs. Nos/Vos: Notre and votre never add an -s; their plural forms are nos and vos.
Frequently Asked Questions — Possessive & Demonstrative Adjectives
Why do we say 'mon amie' or 'son école' when 'amie' and 'école' are feminine?
In French, 'ma', 'ta', and 'sa' cannot be used directly before a word starting with a vowel or silent h because two vowels would clash. Instead, French substitutes 'mon', 'ton', and 'son' for smooth liaison: mon amie (moh-na-mee), ton école (toh-nay-kol), son adresse (soh-na-dres).
How do I choose between 'son' and 'sa' for 'his' vs. 'her'?
In French, you ignore whether the owner is male or female and look only at the gender of the noun that follows! If the noun is masculine (like le frère or le livre), both 'his brother' and 'her brother' are 'son frère'. If the noun is feminine (like la sœur or la voiture), both 'his sister' and 'her sister' are 'sa sœur'.
What is the difference between 'ce', 'cet', and 'cette'?
'Ce' is used before a masculine singular noun starting with a consonant (ce livre). 'Cet' is used before a masculine singular noun starting with a vowel or silent h (cet avion, cet homme). 'Cette' is used before ALL feminine singular nouns, whether they start with a consonant or a vowel (cette table, cette école).
When do I use 'leur' vs. 'leurs' for 'their'?
Use singular 'leur' (without -s) when the noun they possess is singular (Ils adorent leur chien = They love their dog). Use plural 'leurs' (with -s) when the noun they possess is plural (Ils adorent leurs chiens = They love their dogs).