French Possessive Pronouns

What’s the difference in French between my and mine? Her is masculine? There are 3 ways of saying your and 3 other ways of saying yours? Ok there’s ma, mon, mes, le mien, la mienne, les miens, à moi, etc. to express that something belongs to me? Oh boy that’s not confusing! Well, how about we unconfuse it for you.

First of all, if you haven’t already watched part 1, go do that and then come back to us. We are going to follow the same structure.

Part 1 was my, your, her, his, our, your, their

Part 2, now, will be mine, yours, hers, his, ours, yours, theirs.

Vous voyez la différence? Et oui c’est différent!

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MINE = LA MIENNE, LE MIEN, LES MIENNES, LES MIENS

In English it’s easy, no matter what you are referring to, you will only have one choice: mine. The gender, masculine feminine and the number singular plural won’t matter. It’s just mine. You see me coming. In French we have 4 ways. But don’t worry, it’s all perfectly logical.

À qui est cette assiette? Whose plate is this? C’est la mienne. It’s mine.

C’est ton livre? Is this your book? Oui, c’est le mien. Yes, it’s mine.

Avec quelles compétences comptes-tu accomplir ce travail? With what skills do you intend to accomplish this work? Avec les miennes. With mine.

Voilà ses enfants. Mais pas du tout, ce sont les miens!

You see the logic? La mienne is mine for something singular & feminine like une assiette.

Le mien is mine for something singular & masculine like un livre.

Les miennes is mine for something plural & feminine like des compétences.

Les miens is mine for something plural & masculine like des enfants.

Get it?

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YOURS = LA TIENNE, LE TIEN, LES TIENNES, LES TIENS 

Now follow the exact same model for yours and can you guess how to start?

La tienne, le tien, les tiennes, les tiens.

C’est pas ma voiture, c’est la tienne. It’s not my car, it’s yours.

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HERS & HIS = LA SIENNE, LE SIEN, LES SIENNES, LES SIENS 

Finally follow the same logic for hers & his.

La sienne, le sien, les siennes, les siens.

Now remember what we said in the part 1 video! Don’t you fall into the trap of thinking that la sienne & les siennes are going to mean hers or that le sien & les siens are going to mean his! Non non non! It is not who possesses but the thing you possess that determines the gender. A woman or a man would both point at their car and say C’est la mienne. It’s mine. Feminine because une voiture is feminine.

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OURS = LA NÔTRE, LE NÔTRE, LES NÔTRES 

The last ones are easier. almost like their part 1 versions only with the appropriate definite article at the beginning. Definite articles being la, le, les. Examples:

Here is our home, it’s ours. Voici notre maison, c’est la nôtre. notre / nôtre

Its plural version is:

Here are our homes, they’re ours. Voici nos maisons, ce sont les nôtres.

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YOURS = LA VÔTRE, LE VÔTRE, LES VÔTRES

Exact same example for yours so you easily see the parallel.

Here is your home, it’s yours. Voici votre maison, c’est la vôtre. votre / vôtre

Its plural version is:

Here are your homes, they’re yours. Voici vos maisons, ce sont les vôtres.

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THEIRS = LA LEUR, LE LEUR, LES LEURS

And finally theirs like notre and votre, you must add the appropriate definite article before it.

It’s their house, it’s theirs. C’est leur maison, c’est la leur.

It’s their father, it’s theirs. C’est leur père, c’est le leur.

It’s their pens, it’s theirs. Ce sont leurs stylos, ce sont les leurs.

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A lot of info, I know. But that’s because you can watch this video as many times as you wish!

And in case you’re getting part 2/2 confused with part 1/2, go watch part 1 again.