Possessive Pronouns in FrenchA1

Possessive pronouns replace a noun already known to avoid repeating it. They indicate that something belongs to someone, like a book, a car, or an idea, but they do not name that thing a second time. In 'It’s my book' followed by 'It’s mine', the pronoun takes the place of the noun already understood. Without it, the sentence becomes heavier and repeats the same noun unnecessarily. Possessive pronouns therefore serve to reprise the possessed thing while keeping the link with the possessor.

Function of possessive pronouns

Usage	Explanation
Noun already known	We use a possessive pronoun when the possessed noun is already identified and we want to avoid repeating it.
Short answer	We use a possessive pronoun to respond clearly when the context makes the noun obvious.
Possession comparison	We choose a possessive pronoun to show that two things belong to different people.

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The possessive pronoun agrees with the noun it replaces, not with the possessor. If the replaced noun is masculine singular, one chooses a form like 'mine' or 'yours'. If the replaced noun is feminine singular, one chooses 'mine' or 'yours'. For a plural noun, a plural form is used, like 'mine' or 'theirs'. The possessor remains the same, but the form changes according to the object or person possessed. It is the same principle as for Possessive adjectives, where the agreement is also with the possessed noun.

Agreement of the possessive pronoun

Idea
The possessive pronoun agrees with the replaced noun and not with the possessor.
The gender of the pronoun depends on the designated object.
The number of the pronoun depends on what is replaced.

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In the singular, the forms change according to the gender of the replaced noun. For a masculine singular noun, one uses 'the mine', 'the yours', and 'the his'. For a feminine singular noun, one uses 'the mine', 'the yours', and 'the hers'. We say 'This pen is mine' but 'This jacket is mine'. The difference between 'mine' and 'mienne' clearly shows the gender of the noun being referred to. The forms with 'le' replace a masculine noun, those with 'la' replace a feminine noun.

Singular forms of possessive pronouns

Word	Definition
le mien	This pronoun replaces a masculine singular noun that belongs to me.
la mienne	This pronoun replaces a feminine singular noun that belongs to me.
le tien	This pronoun replaces a masculine singular noun that belongs to you.
la tienne	This pronoun replaces a feminine singular noun that belongs to you.
le sien	This pronoun replaces a masculine singular noun that belongs to him.
la sienne	This pronoun replaces a feminine singular noun that belongs to her.

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In the plural, the possessive pronoun takes a form that corresponds to the number of the replaced noun. For a masculine plural noun, one uses 'the mine', 'the yours', and 'the theirs'. For a feminine plural noun, one uses 'the mine', 'the yours', and 'the theirs'. We say 'These books are mine' and 'These photos are mine'. The plural does not depend on the number of possessors, but on the noun being referred to. A single possessor can have multiple objects, and the pronoun will then be in the plural.

Plural forms of possessive pronouns

Word	Definition
les miens	This pronoun replaces a masculine plural noun that belongs to me.
les miennes	This pronoun replaces a feminine plural noun that belongs to me.
les tiens	This pronoun replaces a masculine plural noun that belongs to you.
les tiennes	This pronoun replaces a feminine plural noun that belongs to you.
les siens	This pronoun replaces a masculine plural noun that belongs to him.
les siennes	This pronoun replaces a feminine plural noun that belongs to her.

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Possessive pronouns are usually preceded by the definite article 'the'. We say 'the mine', 'the yours', 'the ours', 'the theirs'. The article is part of the form used with the pronoun. It allows the announced implied noun to be understood and gives the sentence a complete form: 'I take mine', 'They chose theirs'. This construction is often found in everyday language when the possessed noun is already evident in the situation. It is useful with repetitions of Personal pronouns or of nouns already mentioned.

Presence of the definite article

Usage	Explanation
Form isolated	The possessive pronoun often appears with the definite article when it replaces a noun already known.
Precise reference	We use this structure to signal the exact object among several possibilities.
Opposition between people	This form helps to contrast different possessions without repeating nouns.

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To choose the right form, first look at the replaced noun, then its gender and number. For a masculine singular object, we say 'the mine', 'the yours', 'the his'. For a feminine singular object, we say 'the mine', 'the yours', 'the hers'. For several masculine objects, we say 'the mine', 'the yours', 'the theirs'. For several feminine objects, we say 'the mine', 'the yours', 'the theirs'. In 'Your hat is black, mine is white', 'hat' is masculine singular, so the form is 'the mine'. In 'Your keys are here, mine are in the car', 'keys' is feminine plural, so the form is 'theirs'.

Choice of the correct form

Idea
Choose a singular form when the replaced noun is singular.
Choose a plural form when the replaced noun is plural.
Choose masculine or feminine according to the replaced noun.

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'Mon', 'ton' and 'son' are possessive adjectives. They always accompany a noun: 'my brother', 'your bag', 'his idea'. The possessive pronoun, however, replaces the noun: 'mine', 'yours', 'his'. One cannot say 'my' by itself, but one can say 'the mine'. Compare: 'This book is mine' and 'This is mine'. In the first sentence, the noun 'book' is present. In the second, the noun is omitted because the pronoun takes its place. The same opposition exists with Demonstrative pronouns and Indefinite pronouns, which also replace a noun instead of accompanying it.

Difference between determiners and pronouns

Idea
Mon, ton and son accompany a noun.
A possessive pronoun replaces the entire noun.
After a noun already mentioned, we prefer the possessive pronoun to avoid repetition.

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