# French Possessive Adjectives — Mon, Ma, Mes: My, Your, His and Her

> "My" in French is **mon**, **ma** or **mes**, depending on the noun that follows.
> The whole system runs on one rule: **a French possessive agrees with the thing owned,
> never with the owner.** That is why *sa mère* means both "his mother" and "her mother".

Canonical page: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides/french-possessive-adjectives
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Updated: 2026-08-27

## All of them at a glance

| Owner | Masculine | Feminine | Plural |
|---|---|---|---|
| my | mon (MOHN) | ma (MAH) | mes (MAY) |
| your (tu) | ton (TOHN) | ta (TAH) | tes (TAY) |
| his / her / its | son (SOHN) | sa (SAH) | ses (SAY) |
| our | notre (NOH-truh) | notre (same word) | nos (NOH) |
| your (vous) | votre (VOH-truh) | votre (same word) | vos (VOH) |
| their | leur (LUHR) | leur (same word) | leurs (LUHR — sounds identical) |

Read across from the owner, then pick the column that matches the noun you are about to
say — not the person doing the owning.

## The one rule that decides everything

English asks *who owns it?* — which is why "his book" and "her book" are different words.
French asks *what is owned?* The possessive matches the noun standing right behind it, and
the owner never gets a vote.

- **mon livre** — my book (*livre* is masculine)
- **ma maison** — my house (*maison* is feminine)
- **mes amis** — my friends (plural, and the plural forms ignore gender entirely)

*Mes, tes, ses, nos, vos* and *leurs* each cover masculine and feminine in one word. And
*notre*, *votre* and *leur* have no separate feminine form at all, so for "our", "your" and
"their" the only choice you ever make is singular or plural.

## So how do you say his vs her?

Usually you don't need to — **son, sa and ses do both jobs**, and context does the rest.

- *Il aime sa mère* — he loves his mother.
- *Elle aime sa mère* — she loves her mother.

Same two words, *sa mère*, in both. What changed is *il* or *elle* at the front, and that is
where French already told you whose mother it is.

If you truly must disambiguate, French tags the owner on the end: **à lui** for his, **à
elle** for hers. *Sa voiture à elle* is "**her** car" — a way of pointing, not the normal way
to speak.

## The mon amie rule

Before a vowel sound, a feminine noun takes **mon, ton or son** instead of *ma, ta, sa*:

- *mon amie* — my female friend
- *mon école* — my school
- *son histoire* — his or her story

This is purely because *ma amie* is awkward to say. The noun stays feminine, so adjectives
still agree: *mon amie est française*.

Related: **leur** goes with one thing owned (*leur maison*), **leurs** with more than one
(*leurs maisons*) — and the two sound exactly the same.

## Say them out loud

- *C'est mon café.* — "That's my coffee." (*café* is masculine → *mon*)
- *Où sont mes clés ?* — "Where are my keys?" (plural → *mes*, gender irrelevant)
- *Votre table est prête.* — "Your table is ready." (what a waiter says to you)

Cocoon French video: How to Say MY, YOUR, HIS & HER in French —
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_O94zsVp7E

## FAQ

**What are the French possessive adjectives?**
Six sets, one per owner: mon/ma/mes (my), ton/ta/tes (your, to one person you know),
son/sa/ses (his, her, its), notre/nos (our), votre/vos (your, formal or plural) and
leur/leurs (their). Which form you pick depends on the noun that follows, not on the owner.

**How do you know whether to use mon, ma or mes?**
Look at the noun, not at yourself. Masculine singular takes mon (mon livre), feminine
singular takes ma (ma maison), and anything plural takes mes (mes amis) whatever its gender.
The one exception: a feminine noun starting with a vowel sound takes mon — mon amie.

**How do you say "his" vs "her" in French?**
You usually don't — both are son, sa or ses, because the word agrees with the thing owned
rather than with the owner. Sa mère means "his mother" and "her mother"; the sentence around
it tells you which. To be explicit, add à lui or à elle: sa voiture à elle = "her car".

**Why is it "mon amie" and not "ma amie"?**
Purely for sound. Ma amie would put two vowels side by side, which French avoids, so a
feminine noun beginning with a vowel sound takes mon, ton or son — mon amie, ton école, son
histoire. The noun stays feminine, so adjectives still agree: mon amie est française.

**What is the difference between leur and leurs?**
Leur goes with one thing owned (leur maison, their house) and leurs with more than one
(leurs enfants, their children). Both are pronounced LUHR, so the difference only ever shows
up in writing.

## Related guides

- French question words: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides/french-question-words
- Imparfait vs passé composé: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides/imparfait-vs-passe-compose
- Colors in French: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides/colors-in-french
- All guides: https://cocoonfrench.com/guides