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this, that, my, your… the little words before nouns. This guide explains Démonstratifs et Possessifs in French with clear rules, real examples and practice for every CEFR level. For instance: « masculin » — ce livre (this book).
this, that, my, your… the little words before nouns
| Forme | Utilisation | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| ce | masculin | ce livre (this book) |
| cet | masculin + voyelle | cet ami, cet hôtel |
| cette | féminin | cette maison |
| ces | pluriel | ces enfants |
| Owner | masculin | féminin | pluriel |
|---|---|---|---|
| je | mon | ma | mes |
| tu | ton | ta | tes |
| il / elle | son | sa | ses |
| nous | notre | notre | nos |
| vous | votre | votre | vos |
| ils / elles | leur | leur | leurs |
💡 Les 2 pièges anglophones
1. son / sa agree with the THING, not the owner : sa voiture = his car OR her car !
2. Before a feminine noun starting with a vowel, use mon / ton / son : mon amie, son école (easier to say).
| Forme | Sens | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| ce livre-ci | THIS book (here) | Je préfère ce livre-ci. |
| ce livre-là | THAT book (there) | Ce jour-là, il pleuvait. |
📚 Free French lessons at learnfrench.co
___ ami est sympa. (this) (masculine + vowel)
Cet
___ école est grande. (his/her) (feminine + vowel!)
Son
Paul a perdu ___ clés. (his) (plural)
ses
« sa voiture » = his car or her car ? (the trap)
both — it agrees with the car, not the owner
Translate into French: « This idea is excellent! » (translation)
Cette idée est excellente !
Translate into French: « This hotel is full this weekend. » (translation)
Cet hôtel est complet ce week-end.
Translate into French: « She forgot her bag and her keys. » (translation)
Elle a oublié son sac et ses clés.
Go further: get the full picture in our guide 7 common French mistakes English speakers make.
this, that, my, your… the little words before nouns. Follow the rules and patterns in the lesson above, and practise with real sentences like « masculin » (ce livre (this book)).
Yes — « masculin » means « ce livre (this book) », and « masculin + voyelle » means « cet ami, cet hôtel ». The lesson above has many more examples with explanations.
This topic is introduced around A1 and refined at higher levels — pick your level from the links at the top of the page. You can also drill it with the interactive exercises and games below.
Games built from this exact page — turn what you just read into play:
3 quick questions on « Démonstratifs & Possessifs » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →