Ownership in French

Showing Ownership in French

• Using "de": French uses "de" (of or from) to show possession. The construction is la soeur d'Anne-Sophie (the sister of Anne-Sophie). This is different from English, which uses -'s.
• "de" Contraction: "de" may contract (combine closely) with the following word due to similar vowel sounds.
• No Apostrophe s: French does not use an apostrophe (') to show possession.
• Examples of "de" Usage:
  • le cousin d'Alex (the cousin of Alex)
  • la femme de Samuel (the wife of Samuel)
  • le frère de Joseph (the brother of Joseph)
  • l'oncle de Franck (the uncle of Franck)
  • la soeur d'Ella (the sister of Ella)

Using Possessive Adjectives

• Possessive adjectives are another way to indicate ownership in French. They change form to agree with the noun they describe in gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural).
• Possessive Adjective Chart: A chart shows masculine, feminine, and plural forms for each possessive adjective (my, your, his, her, our, your, their).
  • mon (my, masculine singular)
  • ma (my, feminine singular)
  • mes (my, plural)
• Agreement: Possessive adjectives must agree with the noun in gender and number.
• Examples of Possessive Adjective Usage:
  • mon frère (my brother)
  • ma sœur (my sister)
  • mes cousins (my cousins)
  • ta mère (your mother)
  • son frère (his/her brother)
  • son cousin (his/her cousin, masculine)
  • sa cousine (his/her cousin, feminine)
  • notre oncle (our uncle)
  • leur tante (their aunt)
  • ses grands-parents (her grandparents)
  • votre neveu (your nephew -plural)

This quiz focuses on how to show ownership in French, using constructions with 'de' and possessive adjectives. You will learn the differences between French and English possession and familiarize yourself with key examples. Test your understanding of possessive forms and their agreements in gender and number.