Bonjour !
In our last lesson, we explored descriptive adjectives, learning how they must agree in gender and number with the nouns they describe (like une voiture verte) and where to place them. This is a crucial skill for painting a picture with your words.
Today, we'll continue working with adjectives, but we'll focus on two new types that are essential for everyday conversation: possessive adjectives and demonstrative adjectives. These words don't describe a noun's quality; instead, they specify whose it is (mon livre - my book) or which one you're talking about (ce livre - this book). You'll learn how to use forms like mon, ton, son (my, your, his/her) and ce, cette, ces (this, these), all while practicing the agreement rules you learned last time.
Part 1: Showing Possession with Adjectifs Possessifs
Possessive adjectives in French correspond to English words like "my," "your," "his," "her," "its," "our," and "their."
The most important rule to remember is: the French possessive adjective agrees with the gender and number of the noun that is possessed, not with the gender of the person who possesses it.
This is a major difference from English. For example, whether a man or a woman is talking about their book (livre, masculine) or their car (voiture, feminine):
- Il a son livre. (He has his book.)
- Elle a son livre. (She has her book.)
- Il a sa voiture. (He has his car.)
- Elle a sa voiture. (She has her car.)
Notice how son is used for a masculine noun (livre) and sa for a feminine noun (voiture), regardless of who owns it.
The Complete Set of Possessive Adjectives
Let's look at all the forms. This chart provides a fantastic overview.
A nice and simple guide to possessive adjectives in French
The article 'A nice and simple guide to possessive adjectives in French' from Berlitz has a very clear chart. It lays out all the forms based on the possessor and the noun.
Please read the section 'French possessive adjectives' and study the table carefully. Then read the section 'Masculine or feminine?' to reinforce the core concept of agreement.
Here is a summary of the forms you just read about:
| Possessor | Before Masculine Noun | Before Feminine Noun | Before Plural Noun |
|---|---|---|---|
| my | mon | ma | mes |
| your (informal) | ton | ta | tes |
| his / her / its | son | sa | ses |
| our | notre | notre | nos |
| your (formal/plural) | votre | votre | vos |
| their | leur | leur | leurs |
Test your understanding!
Fill in the blank with the correct possessive adjective.
Paul parle à _____ sœur. (Paul is talking to his sister.)
Show answer
Paul parle à sa sœur.
Why? The noun being possessed is sœur (sister), which is feminine and singular. The correct adjective for "his" with a feminine singular noun is sa.
The Vowel Exception
Just as you saw with beau becoming bel in the last lesson, French avoids having a vowel sound directly after ma, ta, or sa.
If a feminine singular noun begins with a vowel or a silent 'h', you must use the masculine forms mon, ton, son for smoother pronunciation.
- amie (friend) is feminine, but you say:
- mon amie (my friend) - not
ma amie - ton amie (your friend) - not
ta amie
- mon amie (my friend) - not
- école (school) is feminine, but you say:
- son école (his/her school) - not
sa école
- son école (his/her school) - not
This is a rule for sound, or euphony.
To hear these adjectives used by a native speaker, this video provides excellent examples.
The French Possessive Adjectives - Mon Ma Mes // French Grammar Course // Lesson 10 🇫🇷
Let's listen to how these adjectives are pronounced. The video 'The French Possessive Adjectives' from The perfect French with Dylane provides clear examples for each group.
Watch from 03:33 to 05:47. Listen carefully to the pronunciation and notice how the adjective agrees with the noun in each example sentence.
Part 2: Pointing Things Out with Adjectifs Démonstratifs
Demonstrative adjectives are used to point out specific people or things. They are the French equivalents of "this," "that," "these," and "those."
There are four forms, and they follow the same agreement rules we've been practicing.
- ce - Used before a masculine singular noun starting with a consonant.
- J'aime ce livre. (I like this/that book.)
- cet - Used before a masculine singular noun starting with a vowel or silent 'h'.
- Je connais cet homme. (I know this/that man.)
- cette - Used before any feminine singular noun.
- Regarde cette voiture. (Look at this/that car.)
- J'adore cette idée. (I love this/that idea.)
- ces - Used before any plural noun (masculine or feminine).
- Prends ces clés. (Take these/those keys.)
- Ces problèmes sont difficiles. (These/those problems are difficult.)
Again, you see the pattern for nouns starting with a vowel: ce becomes cet, just like beau became bel.
French demonstrative adjectives – ce, cet, cette, and ces
The article 'French demonstrative adjectives – ce, cet, cette, and ces' from Preply clearly explains these four forms with examples.
Read the sections 'Four key forms of French demonstrative adjectives' and 'Common mistakes with French demonstrative adjectives'. Pay close attention to the explanations for ce vs. cet.
This one Here or That one There? Using -ci and -là
French doesn't have separate words for "this" and "that." Context usually makes it clear. However, if you need to be specific, you can add suffixes to the noun:
- -ci to mean "this" or "these" (something close by).
- -là to mean "that" or "those" (something further away).
- Tu préfères ce livre-ci ou ce livre-là ? (Do you prefer this book here or that book there?)
- Je vais acheter cette jupe-là. (I am going to buy that skirt.)
Test your understanding!
Choose the correct demonstrative adjective for the sentence:
"_____ appartement est très grand." (This apartment is very big.)
Show answer
Cet appartement est très grand.
Why? Appartement is a masculine singular noun that starts with a vowel. Therefore, you must use cet.
Conclusion
Excellent work! You have now learned the two types of adjectives that help specify nouns. Mastering these will make your French much more precise and natural.
Key Takeaways:
- Possessive Adjectives (mon, sa, nos, etc.) agree in gender and number with the noun being possessed, not the owner. Remember that son/sa/ses can mean his, her, or its.
- Demonstrative Adjectives (ce, cet, cette, ces) are used to point out specific items and must also agree with their noun.
- The Vowel Rule is Consistent: For pronunciation, masculine forms (mon, ton, son, cet) are used before singular nouns (even feminine ones for possessives) that start with a vowel or silent 'h'.
Next Lesson Preview:
Now that you can identify and specify objects (mon livre, cette table), the next logical step is to say where they are. In our next lesson, we will learn how to use prepositions of place like dans (in), sur (on), and sous (under) to describe locations.
À bientôt