Démonstratifs & Possessifs — ce, cette, mon, sa… | French Grammar
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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).
Démonstratifs et Possessifs
this, that, my, your… the little words before nouns
1. Les démonstratifs
| Forme | Utilisation | Exemple |
|---|---|---|
| ce | masculin | ce livre (this book) |
| cet | masculin + voyelle | cet ami, cet hôtel |
| cette | féminin | cette maison |
| ces | pluriel | ces enfants |
2. Les possessifs
| 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).
3. Pour insister : -ci et -là
| 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
🔊 Example sentences
✍️ Practice
___ ami est sympa. (this) (masculine + vowel)
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Cet
___ école est grande. (his/her) (feminine + vowel!)
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Son
Paul a perdu ___ clés. (his) (plural)
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ses
« sa voiture » = his car or her car ? (the trap)
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both — it agrees with the car, not the owner
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🎯 More practice — translation — put it into French
Translate into French: « This idea is excellent! » (translation)
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Cette idée est excellente !
Translate into French: « This hotel is full this weekend. » (translation)
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Cet hôtel est complet ce week-end.
Translate into French: « She forgot her bag and her keys. » (translation)
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Elle a oublié son sac et ses clés.
Go further: get the full picture in our guide 7 common French mistakes English speakers make.
Démonstratifs et Possessifs in French — FAQ
How do you use Démonstratifs et Possessifs in French?
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)).
Can you give an example of Démonstratifs et Possessifs in French?
Yes — « masculin » means « ce livre (this book) », and « masculin + voyelle » means « cet ami, cet hôtel ». The lesson above has many more examples with explanations.
What CEFR level is Démonstratifs et Possessifs?
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.
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🎬 The 20-second version
3 quick questions on « Démonstratifs & Possessifs » — guess before the reveal. Practise with the free games → Open this short as a page — transcript included →