French grammar
Mon, ma, ton, ta: French possessive adjectives
French possessives agree with the thing owned, not with the owner. My is mon before a masculine noun and ma before a feminine one: mon frère, ma sœur. Your (to one person you know well) works the same way: ton chien, ta sœur. Plural nouns take mes and tes for either gender.
In short
- mon before a masculine noun, ma before a feminine one: mon frère, ma sœur. The choice follows the noun's gender, not the owner's.
- ton and ta are your for one person you address as tu: ton chien, ta sœur.
- Plural nouns take mes and tes for either gender: mes frères, tes sœurs.
- Before a vowel the feminine switches to mon and ton for the sound: mon école, ton amie.
What you have
«j'ai», I have (zhay: je + ai, the shortest squeeze in French). «J'ai un frère», I have a brother (frair). «J'ai une sœur», a sister (seur: that œ is one letter, one sound). Having and owning go together: say what you have, then make it yours.
J'ai un frère
I have a brother
J'ai une sœur
I have a sister
Je voudrais un croissant
I would like a croissant
J'ai un frère et une sœur
I have a brother and a sister
Make it yours
«mon» and «ma» — my — ride the same two sides as un/une: «mon frère» (masculine (le)), «ma sœur» (feminine (la)). Point at your people: «C'est mon frère.» — that's my brother. One system, another door.
C'est mon frère
that's my brother
C'est ma sœur
that's my sister
Il est étudiant
He is a student.
Mon chat
my cat
Your turn to ask
«tu as» — you have (tu AH, silent -s as ever): «Tu as un chien ?» — do you have a dog? And their side of the table: «ton chien», «ta sœur» — your, on the same two sides as mon/ma.
Tu as un chien ?
do you have a dog?
Tu as une sœur ?
Do you have a sister?
C'est ton chien ?
is that your dog?
C'est ta sœur ?
is that your sister?
Il y a un parc ici
There's a park here.
J'ai un chat
I have a cat
The whole set
«la famille» — family (fa-MEE, the -ille melting to a y-sound). «mon père» — my father (pair). «ma mère» — my mother (mair — père with an m). «J'aime ma famille» — and now you can say it like you mean it.
J'aime ma famille
I love my family
C'est mon père
that's my father
C'est ma mère
That's my mother.
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