This deep dive covers Possessive Adjectives — mon/ma/mes etc. within Possessives and demonstratives: mon, ma, ce, cette for GCSE French. Revise Possessives and demonstratives: mon, ma, ce, cette in Core Grammar Toolkit for GCSE French with 15 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 2 of 7 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
📋 Possessive Adjectives — mon/ma/mes etc.
Possessive adjectives in French agree with the gender and number of the noun that is owned — not with the gender of the owner. This is the single most important rule for this topic.
| Owner | Masculine singular | Feminine singular | Plural (m or f) | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| je | mon frère | ma sœur | mes parents | my |
| tu | ton frère | ta sœur | tes parents | your (informal) |
| il / elle / on | son frère | sa sœur | ses parents | his / her / its |
| nous | notre frère | notre sœur | nos parents | our |
| vous | votre frère | votre sœur | vos parents | your (formal/pl) |
| ils / elles | leur frère | leur sœur | leurs parents | their |
⭐ Special Rule: Before Vowel or Silent H
When a feminine noun starts with a vowel or silent h, use the masculine form (mon/ton/son) instead of ma/ta/sa — this prevents a vowel clash in speech.
| ❌ Would be awkward | ✓ Correct form | English |
|---|---|---|
| ma amie | mon amie | my friend (f) |
| ta école | ton école | your school |
| sa histoire | son histoire | his/her story |
Annotated examples — possessive adjectives
Mon père et ma mère habitent à Lyon.
My father and my mother live in Lyon.
- mon agrees with père (masculine); ma agrees with mère (feminine)
- Both refer to the same owner (je), but the form changes because the owned nouns are different genders
Sophie aime son chien mais elle déteste ses devoirs.
Sophie loves her dog but she hates her homework.
- son chien — owner is elle (Sophie), but the form son is used because chien is masculine
- ses devoirs — plural form used because devoirs is plural
C'est mon amie Claire — elle est très sympa.
This is my friend Claire — she's very nice.
- amie is feminine but begins with a vowel → use mon not ma
- This is the vowel-liaison rule in action: mon amie sounds smooth; ma amie would clash
Practice questions for Possessives and demonstratives: mon, ma, ce, cette
In French, a possessive adjective (e.g. mon, ma, son, sa) agrees with…
Which form of 'my' is correct in: '_____ sœur est sympa' (my sister is nice)?