Mastering Possessive Pronouns in French: How Do You Use “Le Mien” and “La Tienne”?

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Introduction

Unlock the secrets of French possessive pronouns with our comprehensive guide! Understanding how to correctly use pronouns like “le mien” (mine) and “la tienne” (yours) can significantly enhance your fluency in French. In this article, we’ll explore the rules, conditions, and exceptions for these pronouns, complete with engaging examples and tips to make learning fun. Join us on this journey to mastering possessive pronouns in French and elevate your language skills to a new level!

Understanding Possessive Pronouns (Les Pronoms Possessifs)

Possessive pronouns in French replace nouns to indicate ownership. They agree in gender (masculine or feminine) and number (singular or plural) with the noun they replace. Here’s a breakdown:

Singular:

• Le mien (mine):
• Masculine singular (leh mee-en, ले मीय-एं)
• La mienne (mine):
• Feminine singular (lah mee-enn, ला मीय-एन)
• Le tien (yours):
• Masculine singular (informal) (leh tee-en, ले तीय-एन)
• La tienne (yours):
• Feminine singular (informal) (lah tee-enn, ला तीय-एन)
• Le sien (his/hers/its):
• Masculine singular (leh see-en, ले सीय-एन)
• La sienne (his/hers/its):
• Feminine singular (lah see-enn, ला सीय-एन)

Plural:

• Les miens (mine):
• Masculine plural (lay mee-en, ले मीय-एन)
• Les miennes (mine):
• Feminine plural (lay mee-enn, ले मीय-एन)
• Les tiens (yours):
• Masculine plural (informal) (lay tee-en, ले तीय-एन)
• Les tiennes (yours):
• Feminine plural (informal) (lay tee-enn, ले तीय-एन)
• Les siens (his/hers/its):
• Masculine plural (lay see-en, ले सीय-एन)
• Les siennes (his/hers/its):
• Feminine plural (lay see-enn, ले सीय-एन)

For formal and plural “you” (vous) and other plurals:

• Le nôtre, la nôtre, les nôtres (ours):
• (leh noh-tr, lah noh-tr, lay noh-tr, ले नोत्र, ला नोत्र, ले नोत्र)
• Le vôtre, la vôtre, les vôtres (yours):
• (leh voh-tr, lah voh-tr, lay voh-tr, ले वोत्र, ला वोत्र, ले वोत्र)
• Le leur, la leur, les leurs (theirs):
• (leh luhr, lah luhr, lay luhr, ले लेउर, ला लेउर, ले लेउर)

Examples and Usage

1. Le mien, la mienne, les miens, les miennes (mine)

• Masculine Singular: “C’est mon livre. C’est le mien.” (This is my book. It’s mine.) – (से मौं लीव्ग्र. से ले मीय-एं.)
• Feminine Singular: “C’est ma voiture. C’est la mienne.” (This is my car. It’s mine.) – (से मा व्वाह-त्यूर. से ला मीय-एन.)
• Masculine Plural: “Ce sont mes amis. Ce sont les miens.” (These are my friends. They’re mine.) – (सॊं मे ज़ामी. सॊं ले मीय-एन.)
• Feminine Plural: “Ce sont mes chaussures. Ce sont les miennes.” (These are my shoes. They’re mine.) – (सॊं मे शोस्यूर. सॊं ले मीय-एन.)

2. Le tien, la tienne, les tiens, les tiennes (yours)

• Masculine Singular: “C’est ton chien. C’est le tien.” (This is your dog. It’s yours.) – (से तों श्यां. से ले तीय-एन.)
• Feminine Singular: “C’est ta maison. C’est la tienne.” (This is your house. It’s yours.) – (से ता मेज़ॉं. से ला तीय-एन.)
• Masculine Plural: “Ce sont tes stylos. Ce sont les tiens.” (These are your pens. They’re yours.) – (सॊं ते स्तीलो. सॊं ले तीय-एन.)
• Feminine Plural: “Ce sont tes robes. Ce sont les tiennes.” (These are your dresses. They’re yours.) – (सॊं ते रोब. सॊं ले तीय-एन.)

3. Le sien, la sienne, les siens, les siennes (his/hers/its)

• Masculine Singular: “C’est son chat. C’est le sien.” (This is his/her cat. It’s his/hers.) – (से सॊं शा. से ले सीय-एन.)
• Feminine Singular: “C’est sa lampe. C’est la sienne.” (This is his/her lamp. It’s his/hers.) – (से सा लाम्प. से ला सीय-एन.)
• Masculine Plural: “Ce sont ses livres. Ce sont les siens.” (These are his/her books. They’re his/hers.) – (सॊं से लीव्र. सॊं ले सीय-एन.)
• Feminine Plural: “Ce sont ses fleurs. Ce sont les siennes.” (These are his/her flowers. They’re his/hers.) – (सॊं से फ्लूर. सॊं ले सीय-एन.)

4. Le nôtre, la nôtre, les nôtres (ours)

• “C’est notre maison. C’est la nôtre.” (This is our house. It’s ours.) – (से नॊत्र मेज़ॉं. से ला नॊत्र.)
• “Ce sont nos enfants. Ce sont les nôtres.” (These are our children. They’re ours.) – (सॊं नोज़ आँफ़ाँ. सॊं ले नॊत्र.)

5. Le vôtre, la vôtre, les vôtres (yours)

• “C’est votre décision. C’est la vôtre.” (This is your decision. It’s yours.) – (से वोत्र डेसीज़िओं. से ला वोत्र.)
• “Ce sont vos clés. Ce sont les vôtres.” (These are your keys. They’re yours.) – (सॊं वो क्ले. सॊं ले वोत्र.)

6. Le leur, la leur, les leurs (theirs)

• “C’est leur jardin. C’est le leur.” (This is their garden. It’s theirs.) – (से लेउर झर्दाँ. से ले लेउर.)
• “Ce sont leurs idées. Ce sont les leurs.” (These are their ideas. They’re theirs.) – (सॊं लेउरज़ ईदे. सॊं ले लेउर.)

Funny Examples to Remember

1. Le Mien et le Fantôme (Mine and the Ghost):
   • Imagine you have a snack, and your friend tries to take it. You say, “Non, c’est le mien!” (No, it’s mine!). They jokingly respond, “Peut-être que c’est le fantôme qui l’a pris!” (Maybe the ghost took it!).
2. La Tienne et la Pizza (Yours and the Pizza):
   • You’re at a party, and someone asks whose pizza it is. You point to your friend and say, “C’est la tienne!” (It’s yours!). They laugh and say, “Oui, mais je la partage!” (Yes, but I’m sharing it!).

Conditions and Exceptions

• Agreement: Possessive pronouns must agree in gender and number with the noun they replace.
• Formal vs. Informal: Use “votre” and “vos” for formal or plural “your,” and “ton” and “tes” for informal.
• Possessive Adjectives vs. Pronouns: Don’t confuse possessive adjectives (mon, ton, son) with possessive pronouns (le mien, le tien, le sien).

Conclusion

Mastering French possessive pronouns is essential for fluent communication. These pronouns help you express ownership and build more complex sentences. Keep practicing with fun examples, and soon you’ll be using them like a pro! If you want to learn more and get structured lessons, enroll in our French A1 course at Learn Language Store today!

Learn More

If you’re serious about mastering French, our French A1 course at Learn Language Store offers structured lessons, interactive exercises, and personalized feedback to help you succeed. Enroll now and take your French to the next level!