Let’s dive into the world of possessive adjectives in French and learn how to say 'my'.
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What are possessive adjectives?

The word “my” is called a possessive adjective. It’s used to show that something belongs to you.

In English, there is only one way to say “my”, and that’s, well, “my”.

my son
my daughter
my car
my house
my imagination
my decision

How do you say "my" in French?

In French, there are three different ways to say my: a masculine version, a feminine version and a plural version.

Masculine – mon
Feminine – maPlural – mes

The pronunciation of the word “mon” is “mon(g)”.

The pronunciation of the word “ma” is “mah”.

The pronunciation of the word “mes” is “meh”.

So, “mon”, “ma” and “mes” are possessive adjectives, meaning they are the words for “my” in French. The version you use depends on whether the noun it goes in front of is a masculine noun, a feminine noun or a plural noun. If it’s plural, it doesn’t matter whether it’s masculine or feminine; you simply use “mes”.

You put the word “mon” in front of nouns that are masculine and singular, you put the word “ma” in front of nouns that are feminine and singular. You put “mes” in front of nouns that are plural.

Here are some examples:

mon café – my coffee
mon thé – my tea
mon fils – my son
mon stylo – my pen

ma maison – my house
ma voiture – my car
ma sœur – my sister
ma réservation – my reservation

mes enfants – my children
mes amis – my friends
mes clés – my keys
mes parents – my parents

Feminine nouns that start with a vowel

If you have a feminine noun that starts with a vowel or the letter H, you must use the word “mon” for “my” instead of “ma”. The reason is because it makes it easier to say, and it also sounds nicer to French ears.

mon addition – my bill
mon amie – my friend
mon histoire – my story

If you try saying, “ma amie” and then “mon amie”, you’ll see how the second version just sounds like it flows better.

Let's practise

Have a go at saying these sentences in French. Any vocabulary you might need is on the "Vocabulary" tab below.
Sentences
Vocabulary
  1. I would like my bill, please
  2. Do you have my passport?
  3. I’ve lost my passport
  4. Where is my key?
  5. Where are my children?
  6. My parents are here
  7. My daughter is with me
  8. My son is with my husband
  9. Do you have my wallet
  10. Where is my wife?
  11. I’ve lost my key
  12. Do you like my car?
  13. My house is here
  14. Do you have my keys?
  15. Where is my child?
  16. Where is my wallet?
  17. My daughters are with my wife
  18. My sons are with me
  19. My keys are here
  20. I’ve lost my wallet

MASCULINE NOUNS
passport – passeport
child – enfant
parent – parent
son – fils
husband – mari
wallet – portefeuille

FEMININE NOUNS
house – maison
car – voiture
bill – addition
key – clé
daughter – fille
wife – femme

EXTRA VOCABULARY
I would like – je voudrais
do you have? – avez-vous?
do you like? – aimez-vous?
is – est
are – sont
with me – avec moi
where – où
please – s’il vous plaît
I’ve lost – j’ai perdu
here – ici

In context

It’s always good to look at rules in context, because it helps to solidify them in your mind. So, let’s read through the lyrics of the Johnny Hallyday song, “Je te promets”, meaning, “I promise you”, in English. We’ll focus on any possessive adjectives we see.
Extract
Vocabulary

Je te promets

e te promets le sel au baiser de ma bouche
Je te promets le miel à ma main qui te touche
Je te promets le ciel au-dessus de ta couche
Des fleurs et des dentelles pour que tes nuits soient douces

Je te promets la clé des secrets de mon âme
Je te promets la vie de mes rires à mes larmes
Je te promets le feu à la place des armes
Plus jamais des adieux rien que des au revoir

Je te promets mes bras pour porter tes angoisses
Je te promets mes mains pour que tu les embrasses
Je te promets mes yeux si tu ne peux plus voir
Je te promets d’être heureux si tu n’as plus d’espoir

ma bouche — my mouth
ma main — my hand
mon âme — my soul
mes rires — my laughs
mes larmes — my tears
mes bras — my arms
mes mains — my hands
mes yeux — my eyes

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