You Have Your Possesives Mixed Up Again in French
Beep, beep! Pull over, French learner. Random spot bank check.
Take you started learning the most ordinarily used French verbs?
Oh, you have. Great!
How most adjectives? You getting a good for you mix of adjectives in your French diet? Splendid.
Hey, is this your coffee? Would y'all mind if I accept a sip? Because I don't hear you proverb it'due south yours.
Ah ha, I come across we're withal a footling foggy on possessive adjectives.
Well, it'southward not a serious violation. I'm just going to accept to ask you to step out of the vehicle for a quick review.
And let's just say, a new skill will soon be yours!
Download: This web log post is available as a user-friendly and portable PDF that you lot tin can take anywhere. Click here to get a copy. (Download)
Whose Is Whose? French Possessive Adjectives
Like English language, the French language has a special group of adjectives that indicate possession of the nouns that follow. Possession, equally you lot probably already know, indicates who owns an object or who that object belongs to. It's important to be able to indicate possession when dealing with food and drinks, or other stuff you lot don't want people grabbing out of your hand.
For example, if I say, "Hey! That's my coffee!" you know you better back abroad because that java belongs to me, I intend to drink it and I may go grumpy if I don't.
Furthermore, these words are called possessiveadjectives because they alter the following substantive in the aforementioned way that regular adjectives do (i.eastward., in "the red house," "house" is a noun, and information technology's modified by the describing word "red").
But enough grammatical mumbo-jumbo, correct? Here's the simplified version.
Possessive adjectives become before the substantive in French, by contrast to other adjectives, and possessive adjectives take the place of articles such every bit le, la or les (the). For example, if I desire to take the words le café(the coffee) in French and evidence that this coffee is, in fact, my coffee, I would say mon café(my java).
But, wait! There's more. There'due south one more major divergence between English and French: French possessive adjectives not just alter depending on the possessor (i.eastward., the person who owns the object), just they change depending on the gender of the substantive, and depending on whether that noun is singular or plural.
You knew there was a catch, didn't yous? Don't stress! I've broken it all down for you.
French Possessive Adjectives in Action
So, as has already been established, possessive adjectives not but change depending on the person who possesses the object, just they also must agree with the noun (i.e., the "possessed") in gender and in plurality. Permit's take a look!
That's my java!
The word "my" in English signifies that the noun in question belongs to the speaker or, in the case of French, the je (I) of the conversation. But, remember: Information technology must hold in gender and plurality.
For masculine words, we would say mon (my). For feminine words, we would say ma (my). For plural words, regardless of whether they're masculine or feminine, nosotros would say mes (my). Check out these words in action:
- C'est mon café !(It's my java!)
- Où est ma règle ? (Where is my ruler?)
- Ce sont mes livres. (Those are my books.)
No…your coffee is over there!
The word "your" in English language means that the following noun belongs to the tu (you) in the conversation. In this case, if the post-obit word is masculine, we would say ton (your). If the give-and-take is feminine, we would say ta (your). Lastly, yous guessed it, if the discussion is plural, we would say tes (your) for both masculine and feminine words.
- Ceci est ton café ! (That one is your coffee!)
- Où est ta voiture ?(Where is your car?)
- Où sonttes clés ?(Where are your keys?)
Note: To proceed things simple in this post, we'll talk about tu every bit beingness the singular "y'all" and vous being the plural, but information technology's really a little more complicated than that once you get into formal French, so be sure to bank check into that.
Non that one, either! That's her java!
Different English language, French does not distinguish betwixthis andher when it comes to possession. That means that the possessive adjective but changes depending on the gender or plurality of the following noun.
For case, soncan mean "his" or "her" and is for masculine nouns. Sa means "his" or "her" as well and is used for feminine nouns. Finally, ses means "his" or "her" and is used for both masculine and feminine nouns in the plural.
- Not, c'estson café !(No, that's his/her coffee!)
- Où estsa télévision ?(Where is his/her television?)
- Chercheses clés ! (Look for his/her keys!)
Excuse me…what are you doing with our coffees?
Ah, simplicity! Well, kinda…for "our," French uses notre for masculine and feminine nouns. Non for plural nouns, though: For plural nouns, you utilise nos.
- C'est notre café !(It'southward our coffee!)
- Voilà notre télévision. (There'south our goggle box.)
- Est-ce que vous voudriez lire nos livres ?(Would yous like to read our books?)
Yous're in luck! The simplicity continues. To say that something belongs to "you all" or "yous guys" in colloquial English, French speakers employ votre (your) for both masculine and feminine nouns. For plural nouns, nevertheless, you use vos .
- Où est votre stylo ?(Where is your pen?)
- Est-ce que ceci est votre voiture ?(Is this your machine?)
- Ce sont vos cafés. (These are your coffees.)
Yes, please don't beverage their coffee.
Lastly, we have the possessive adjectives leur and leurs (their). Leur is used for both masculine and feminine nouns in the singular, whereas leurs is used for both masculine and feminine nouns in the plural.
- Oui, c'est leur stylo. (Yes, it'southward their pen.)
- Où est leur télévision ?(Where is their television?)
- Ce sont leurs cafés.(These are their coffees.)
A Perfectly French Exception: Feminine Possessive Adjectives and Vowels
What would a French grammatical construction exist without an exception?
The feminine possessive adjectives ma (my), ta (your) and sa(his/her) are special in the sense that they cannot exist used in front of a substantive that starts with a vowel, much in the aforementioned way le or la(the) must become l' in forepart of a vowel. The difference, however, is that these three feminine possessive adjectives practice not simply drop a letter: They change completely.
But worry not: This change isn't a totally new form. The feminine possessive adjectives simply take the form of masculine possessive adjectives in front end of a feminine substantive that begins with one of those lovely French vowels.
In short, ma (my), ta (your) andsa(his/her) get mon (my), ton (your) and son(his/her) respectively before a vowel.
Check out these examples:
- C'est mon amie. (She's my friend.)
Amie is feminine, simply we cannot put ma in front of it, so we must usemonday.
- Je vais à ton école.(I'm going to your school.)
École is feminine, simply we cannot put t a in front of it, so we must employ ton.
- Quelle est son idée ?(What's his/her thought?)
Idée is feminine, but nosotros cannot put s a in forepart of it, so we must use due south on.
To Each His Own: Ane Last Rule
Last one, I promise!
Different in English language, every French substantive in a list must have its own possessive describing word, even if the possessors are the aforementioned.
In English language, we can say, "Where are my book and cup?" In French, however, we cannot say Où sont mon livre et tasse ?Rather, we must say:Où sont monday livre et ma tasse ?
Possessive Adjectives Practice
Random spot bank check complete! Now, here'south some practise for all the wonderful possessive adjectives we've learned before I send you on your fashion.
Bank check out the following online quizzes: You can observe some to start on About French and To Learn French. When you're done with those, check out farther material on Quia and ProProfs!
Isn't it fourth dimension you made French possessive adjectives yours?
Just not my java.
Please and cheers.
Download: This blog post is available as a convenient and portable PDF that you can have anywhere. Click here to go a re-create. (Download)
Source: https://www.fluentu.com/blog/french/french-possessive-adjectives/
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