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Tammy: C'est ton béret Tex? Tammy: Is this your beret Tex?
Tex: Oui, c'est le mien. Tex: Yes, it is mine.
In French, possessive pronouns indicate both the possessor and the number and the gender of the object possessed: le
mien indicates that the possessor is 'I' and that the possession is masculine singular.
In the following table, the choice between the singular or plural form and between the masculine or feminine form
depends on the number and gender of the item possessed. (Note the difference in spelling and in pronunciation between
the possessive determiners notre and votre and the possessive pronouns nôtre and vôtre.)
singular plural
Depending on the context, le sien, la sienne, les siens, les siennes may mean 'his', 'hers', or 'its'. Note that for the
others, all four forms of each possessive pronoun have one English translation.
Note that à + the definite articles le et les form the contractions au and aux respectively. For example:
Tammy: Je pense souvent à mes neveux. Tammy: I often think about my nephews.
Tex: Je pense rarement aux miens. Tex: I seldom think about mine.
Tammy: Oh! Tex, tu es si égoïste! Tammy: Oh! Tex you are so selfish!
Fiona: A qui appartient cette photo? Fiona: Who does photo belong to?
Tammy: Oui c'est la sienne. Tu ne connais Tammy: Yes it is his. Don't you know Rita?
pas Rita?
Fiona: Ta soeur est très belle. Tu lui Fiona: Your sister is very beautiful. You
ressembles. resemble her.
Tex: Non, je ne lui ressemble pas. Tex: No, I don't look like her.
idiomatic uses
The masculine plural forms of the possessive pronouns may be used alone to refer to parents, friends, allies etc. Etre des
nôtres, être des vôtres are common phrases with such a meaning of the possessive pronoun.
Tammy: Quand j'étais à Lyon, je pensais Tammy: When I was in Lyon, I often
souvent aux miens. thought of my folks.
Tammy: Fiona, j'invite des amis ce soir. Tu Tammy: Fiona, I am inviting a few friends
es des nôtres? tonight. Are you joining us?
Y mettre du sien is a common phrase that may be used with any of the possessive pronouns to mean that you are doing
your share, trying your best, making a real effort to contribute.
Tammy: Tex, nous avons des invités ce Tammy: Tex, we are having guests tonight.
soir. Il y a beaucoup de choses à préparer. There are a lot of things to prepare. I hope
J'espère que tu vas y mettre du tien. you are going to do your share.
Faire des + miennes, tiennes, siennes, nôtres, vôtres, or leurs are phrases suggesting misbehavior.
Tammy: Bette a encore fait des siennes. Tammy: Bette has been up to her tricks
Hier elle a dragué Tex toute la soirée again. She flirted with Tex all evening in
devant tout le monde. front of everybody.
fill in the blanks
Fill in the blank with the correct possessive pronoun preceded by le, la, or les.
3. Edouard : Tex, tes parents sont américains, __________ sont français! (mine)
4. Tammy : Je vais ouvrir mes cadeaux. Et toi Tex, tu vas ouvrir __________? (yours)
6. Tex : J'ai acheté mes livres. Est-ce que Joe-Bob et Edouard ont acheté ________? (theirs)
7. Edouard : Je n'ai pas connu mon frère, mais Rita et Trey connaît _______. (theirs)
8. Tammy : Je vois souvent ma mère, mais Tex et Rita ne voient jamais ________. (theirs)
10. Tex : L'accent français d'Edouard est sexy, mais ________ est plus sexy. (mine)
11. Tex et Edouard : Vos amies sont jolies, mais nous trouvons ________ plus jolies! (ours)
12. Tammy et Bette : Nous avons eu nos notes. Et vous, vous avez eu ________ ? (yours)
© 2004 • department of french & italian • liberal arts ITS • university of texas at austin updated: 27 May 04