A1 Adjectives & Adverbs 10 min read Easy

Group Possessives: Our, Your, Their (notre, votre, leur)

Match the adjective to the number of objects owned, not the gender or number of the owners.
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Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

In French, possessive adjectives agree with the object being possessed, not the owner.

  • Use 'notre' for 'our' (singular object).
  • Use 'nos' for 'our' (plural objects).
  • Use 'leur' for 'their' (singular object) and 'leurs' for 'their' (plural objects).
Owner + (Possessive Adjective) + Object = 🏠 + notre + maison

Overview

French possessive adjectives indicate ownership or a close relationship between a noun and its possessor. At the A1 level, understanding these is fundamental for expressing basic belonging. While some French possessives (mon, ma, mes) require you to distinguish the gender of the possessed item, a specific group—notre, votre, and leur—simplifies this significantly.

These adjectives correspond to 'our', 'your' (formal or plural), and 'their' in English. The crucial distinction for this group lies solely in the number of the item being possessed (singular or plural), making them more straightforward for beginners compared to their mon/ma/mes counterparts.

This simplification reflects a broader linguistic principle in French: to maintain clarity and euphony, some grammatical elements prioritize agreement with the noun's number, especially when the gender distinction becomes less critical or would lead to awkward phonetic structures. For notre, votre, and leur, the challenge of distinguishing masculine/feminine for a single item is removed, streamlining the learning process. Your focus will be on whether you are talking about one item or many items, rather than its arbitrary grammatical gender.

For example, whether it's 'our car' (notre voiture - feminine) or 'our book' (notre livre - masculine), the adjective notre remains unchanged. This consistency is a key feature of these possessives and a welcome relief for learners navigating French gender.

How This Grammar Works

French grammar mandates agreement, meaning words often change form to match the gender (masculine/feminine) and number (singular/plural) of the noun they modify. Possessive adjectives are no exception. However, notre, votre, and leur operate on a simplified agreement rule compared to mon, ma, mes.
For these specific possessives, the gender of the possessed noun is irrelevant when the noun is singular. The only factor determining the form of notre, votre, or leur is the number of the possessed noun.
When the noun you are talking about is singular, you use notre, votre, or leur regardless of whether that noun is masculine or feminine. For instance, notre maison (our house - feminine singular), notre jardin (our garden - masculine singular), votre idée (your idea - feminine singular), votre projet (your project - masculine singular), leur voiture (their car - feminine singular), and leur appartement (their apartment - masculine singular) all demonstrate this principle. The form of the possessive adjective does not adapt to the noun's gender.
Conversely, when the noun being possessed is plural, the possessive adjective must also be in its plural form. This involves adding an s to notre to form nos, to votre to form vos, and to leur to form leurs. This pluralization ensures that the adjective agrees in number with the plural noun.
For example, 'our houses' becomes nos maisons, 'your projects' becomes vos projets, and 'their cars' becomes leurs voitures. In these cases, the s is generally silent unless the following noun begins with a vowel or a silent h, triggering a liaison where the s sounds like a /z/.
Consider the distinction between the owner and the owned item. The owner determines which of the three adjectives (notre, votre, leur) to use (i.e., 'we', 'you', or 'they'). The owned item determines whether the singular (notre, votre, leur) or plural (nos, vos, leurs) form is necessary.
This two-step logic is critical. If you and a friend own one book, it is notre livre. If you and a friend own many books, it is nos livres.
The owner (nous) is plural in both cases, but the adjective changes based on the quantity of books.
Furthermore, vous serves as both the formal singular 'you' and the plural 'you' (formal or informal). Therefore, votre and vos are versatile. You would use votre bureau (your office) when addressing your boss formally, or vos documents (your documents) when speaking to a group of colleagues.
This flexibility of vous and its corresponding possessives simplifies expressing possession in a range of social contexts, from formal interactions to group discussions.

Formation Pattern

1
Selecting the correct possessive adjective involves a straightforward two-step process focused on the owner and the possessed item. Unlike mon/ma/mes, where the gender of the possessed item dictates ma or mon, this group primarily considers the number of the possessed item in conjunction with the identity of the owners.
2
First, identify the owner(s) of the item. Are we talking about 'us' (nous), 'you' (singular formal or plural vous), or 'them' (ils/elles)? This determines the base form (notre, votre, leur).
3
Second, determine the number of the item(s) being possessed. Is it a single item or multiple items? This dictates whether you use the singular or plural form of the chosen base adjective.
4
Here's the definitive pattern for forming these possessive adjectives:
5
| Owner (Subject Pronoun) | English Equivalent | Possessed Noun is Singular (Masculine or Feminine) | Possessed Noun is Plural (Masculine or Feminine) |
6
| :---------------------- | :----------------- | :------------------------------------------------------ | :---------------------------------------------------- |
7
| Nous | We (our) | notre | nos |
8
| Vous | You (your - formal singular or plural) | votre | vos |
9
| Ils / Elles | They (their) | leur | leurs |
10
Let's apply this pattern:
11
If the owners are 'we' (nous) and we possess one thing, use notre. Example: notre professeur (our teacher). Professeur is singular, so notre is used.
12
If the owners are 'we' (nous) and we possess many things, use nos. Example: nos livres (our books). Livres is plural, so nos is used.
13
If the owner is 'you' (formal singular vous) or 'you' (plural vous) and you possess one thing, use votre. Example: votre opinion (your opinion). Opinion is singular, so votre is used.
14
If the owner is 'you' (formal singular vous) or 'you' (plural vous) and you possess many things, use vos. Example: vos questions (your questions). Questions is plural, so vos is used.
15
If the owners are 'they' (ils/elles) and they possess one thing, use leur. Example: leur enfant (their child). Enfant is singular, so leur is used.
16
If the owners are 'they' (ils/elles) and they possess many things, use leurs. Example: leurs parents (their parents). Parents is plural, so leurs is used.
17
The key is always to look at the noun immediately following the possessive adjective to determine its number. The gender of that noun does not influence notre, votre, or leur in their singular forms, which is a significant simplification at this beginner level.

When To Use It

These possessive adjectives are used extensively in French to denote ownership, affiliation, or relationship. They are indispensable for everyday communication and will appear frequently in any conversation or text. Their primary function is to modify a noun, specifying to whom it belongs or with whom it is associated.
You will use notre, votre, and leur (and their plural forms) in a wide array of contexts, from describing personal belongings to discussing shared experiences or collective ideas.
1. Expressing Collective Possession (notre/nos):
When two or more individuals (including yourself) own or are associated with something, you use notre for a singular item and nos for multiple items. This reflects the English 'our'.
  • Notre équipe a gagné. (Our team won.) - Équipe is singular.
  • Nos vacances étaient super. (Our holidays were great.) - Vacances is plural.
  • C'est notre restaurant préféré. (It's our favorite restaurant.) - Restaurant is singular.
2. Addressing a Single Person Formally or Multiple People (votre/vos):
Votre and vos are used when addressing 'you' in a formal singular context (e.g., a stranger, an elder, a professional contact) or when addressing any group of people. This corresponds to the English 'your'.
  • Quel est votre nom ? (What is your name? - addressing one person formally.) - Nom is singular.
  • J'aime beaucoup votre présentation. (I really like your presentation. - addressing one person formally.) - Présentation is singular.
  • Vos enfants sont très polis. (Your children are very polite. - addressing a group or two parents.) - Enfants is plural.
  • Où sont vos clés ? (Where are your keys? - addressing a friend group.) - Clés is plural.
3. Indicating Possession by a Third-Person Plural (leur/leurs):
When a group of people ('they') owns or is associated with an item, leur is used for a singular item and leurs for multiple items. This directly translates to the English 'their'.
  • Leur projet est ambitieux. (Their project is ambitious.) - Projet is singular.
  • Leurs amis sont venus hier. (Their friends came yesterday.) - Amis is plural.
  • J'admire leur patience. (I admire their patience.) - Patience is singular.
These adjectives are also used for abstract concepts, social groups, or shared ideas, just as they are for tangible objects. For example, notre culture, votre opinion, leur vision de l'avenir. The choice between singular and plural forms consistently depends on the number of the noun they precede, making them broadly applicable in almost any situation requiring a possessive.

Common Mistakes

Beginners frequently encounter specific challenges when using notre, votre, and leur. Understanding these common error patterns and their underlying reasons is crucial for developing accurate French.
1. Gender Mismatch (Incorrect Application of mon/ma Logic):
One of the most persistent mistakes stems from learners incorrectly extending the mon/ma/mes gender rule to notre/votre/leur. Because mon is masculine and ma is feminine, learners often assume notre must have a feminine equivalent. This is incorrect. For a singular possessed noun, notre, votre, and leur are gender-invariant. Their form does not change based on whether the noun is masculine or feminine.
  • Incorrect: notre voiture (feminine) but notro livre (masculine) -> Correction: notre voiture, notre livre (both notre)
  • Why it's wrong: notre, votre, leur simplify gender agreement for singular nouns; they do not possess masculine/feminine variations themselves.
2. Confusion Between Singular and Plural of the Possessive Adjective:
Another common pitfall is failing to correctly pluralize the possessive adjective when the possessed noun is plural. While notre and votre change significantly in pronunciation to nos and vos, leur and leurs often sound identical in casual speech, leading to confusion in writing.
  • Incorrect: leur maisons (for 'their houses') -> Correction: leurs maisons
  • Incorrect: notre amis (for 'our friends') -> Correction: nos amis
  • Why it's wrong: The possessive adjective must agree in number with the noun it modifies. If the noun is plural, the adjective must also be plural (nos, vos, leurs). In written French, the s is never optional for plural forms.
3. leur (Possessive Adjective) vs. leur (Indirect Object Pronoun):
At A1, distinguishing these two words, which share the exact same spelling, is vital. The possessive adjective leur always precedes a noun and means 'their'. The indirect object pronoun leur always precedes a verb (or auxiliary verb) and means 'to them' or 'them'.
  • J'ai vu leur chien. (I saw their dog.) - leur here modifies the noun chien.
  • Je leur parle. (I speak to them.) - leur here is a pronoun acting as the indirect object of the verb parle.
  • Why it's wrong: Mixing these up fundamentally alters the sentence's meaning. The context (noun vs. verb following) is the key differentiator.
4. Omitting Repetition for Multiple Possessed Items:
In French, possessive adjectives are typically repeated before each noun in a list, unlike in English where

Possessive Adjective Table

Owner Singular Object Plural Object
Our (Nous)
notre
nos
Your (Vous)
votre
vos
Their (Ils/Elles)
leur
leurs

Meanings

Possessive adjectives indicate ownership or relationship between a person and an object.

1

Ownership

Indicating that an object belongs to a group.

“C'est notre maison.”

“C'est votre chien.”

Reference Table

Reference table for Group Possessives: Our, Your, Their (notre, votre, leur)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Possessive + Noun
C'est notre maison.
Negative
Ce n'est pas + Possessive + Noun
Ce n'est pas notre maison.
Question
Est-ce + Possessive + Noun ?
Est-ce votre maison ?
Plural
Possessive (plural) + Noun (plural)
Ce sont nos maisons.
Formal
Possessive (votre) + Noun
C'est votre avis.
Informal
Possessive + Noun
C'est leur chat.

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Ceci est notre demeure.

Ceci est notre demeure. (Describing home)

Neutral
C'est notre maison.

C'est notre maison. (Describing home)

Informal
C'est notre maison.

C'est notre maison. (Describing home)

Slang
C'est notre chez-nous.

C'est notre chez-nous. (Describing home)

Possessive Adjective Flow

Possessive Adjective

Singular

  • notre our

Plural

  • nos our (plural)
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Examples by Level

1

C'est notre maison.

This is our house.

2

C'est votre voiture.

This is your car.

3

C'est leur chien.

This is their dog.

4

Ce sont nos livres.

These are our books.

1

Où est votre passeport ?

Where is your passport?

2

Nous aimons leur jardin.

We like their garden.

3

Nos amis arrivent bientôt.

Our friends are arriving soon.

4

Vos idées sont excellentes.

Your ideas are excellent.

1

Leur décision est finale.

Their decision is final.

2

Notre équipe a gagné.

Our team won.

3

Vos bagages sont ici.

Your luggage is here.

4

Nos projets pour l'été sont prêts.

Our plans for the summer are ready.

1

C'est leur responsabilité de décider.

It is their responsibility to decide.

2

Veuillez présenter vos documents.

Please present your documents.

3

Notre stratégie a été validée.

Our strategy has been validated.

4

Leurs efforts ont porté leurs fruits.

Their efforts have paid off.

1

Leur apport à la recherche est immense.

Their contribution to research is immense.

2

Nos convictions restent inchangées.

Our convictions remain unchanged.

3

Vos arguments manquent de pertinence.

Your arguments lack relevance.

4

Leurs propos ont été mal interprétés.

Their remarks were misinterpreted.

1

Leur influence sur la culture est indéniable.

Their influence on culture is undeniable.

2

Nos aspirations dépassent le cadre actuel.

Our aspirations go beyond the current framework.

3

Vos prérogatives sont clairement définies.

Your prerogatives are clearly defined.

4

Leurs agissements ont suscité l'indignation.

Their actions sparked indignation.

Easily Confused

Group Possessives: Our, Your, Their (notre, votre, leur) vs Mon/Ma/Mes vs Notre/Votre/Leur

Learners mix up singular and plural owners.

Group Possessives: Our, Your, Their (notre, votre, leur) vs Leur vs Leurs

Forgetting to pluralize 'leur' before plural nouns.

Group Possessives: Our, Your, Their (notre, votre, leur) vs Votre vs Vos

Using 'votre' for plural objects.

Common Mistakes

✗

notres maison

✓

notre maison

Do not pluralize the adjective if the noun is singular.
✗

notre maisons

✓

nos maisons

The adjective must also be pluralized.
✗

leur maison

✓

leur maison

Correct, but ensure you don't add an 's' if the house is singular.
✗

votre ami

✓

votre ami

Correct, but watch for vowel sounds.
✗

leur(s) amis

✓

leurs amis

Always pluralize 'leur' before plural nouns.
✗

notre amis

✓

nos amis

Must match the noun's number.
✗

votre(s) idées

✓

vos idées

Pluralize 'votre' to 'vos'.
✗

leur projet

✓

leur projet

Correct, check for pluralization.
✗

nos projet

✓

nos projets

Noun must be plural if adjective is.
✗

votre avis

✓

votre avis

Correct usage.
✗

leur efforts

✓

leurs efforts

Plural agreement is essential.
✗

nos conviction

✓

nos convictions

Noun must be plural.
✗

votre prérogatives

✓

vos prérogatives

Adjective must be plural.
✗

leur agissement

✓

leurs agissements

Pluralize both.

Sentence Patterns

C'est ___ maison.

Ce sont ___ amis.

___ projet est très intéressant.

___ idées sont excellentes.

Real World Usage

Social Media constant

Voici nos photos de vacances !

Texting constant

C'est leur adresse ?

Job Interviews common

Quelle est votre vision ?

Travel common

Où sont vos bagages ?

Food Delivery occasional

C'est notre commande.

School very common

Ouvrez vos livres.

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💡

Check the Noun

Always look at the word AFTER the possessive.
⚠️

Don't look at the owner

The owner's gender doesn't matter for 'notre/votre/leur'.
🎯

Pluralize the 's'

If the noun has an 's', the possessive needs one too.
💬

Politeness

Always use 'votre' for people you don't know well.

Smart Tips

Always add an 's' to the possessive adjective.

Notre amis → Nos amis

Don't worry! These adjectives don't care about gender.

Ma/Mon maison → Notre maison

Use 'votre' to show respect.

Ton avis → Votre avis

Double-check the noun for an 's'.

Leur projet → Leurs projets

Pronunciation

nos amis -> no-zami

Liaison

When 'nos' or 'vos' is followed by a vowel, pronounce the 's' like a 'z'.

Rising for questions

C'est votre voiture ? ↗

Polite inquiry

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Remember: 'Notre' is for 'One', 'Nos' is for 'Lots'.

Visual Association

Imagine a group of people holding one big pizza (notre) vs. many small slices (nos).

Rhyme

For our, your, their, keep it clear: use 's' when the noun is near.

Story

We (notre) have one dog. They (leur) have one cat. But we have many (nos) toys, and they have many (leurs) books.

Word Web

notrenosvotrevosleurleurs

Challenge

Label 5 items in your room using 'notre' or 'votre'.

Cultural Notes

Using 'votre' is essential for politeness with strangers.

Possessives are used similarly, but pronunciation of 'notre' is often more open.

Standard French rules apply in formal education.

Derived from Latin possessive pronouns.

Conversation Starters

“

Est-ce que c'est votre livre ?

“

Où est votre voiture ?

“

Quels sont vos projets pour ce week-end ?

“

Comment voyez-vous leur rôle dans ce projet ?

Journal Prompts

Describe your family's house.
Write about your friends' hobbies.
Describe a project you are working on with colleagues.
Reflect on a team decision.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

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Test Yourself

Fill in the blank.

C'est ___ maison.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: notre
Maison is singular.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

Ce sont ___ amis.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nos
Amis is plural.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Leur(s) livres.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Leurs
Livres is plural.
Make plural. Sentence Transformation

C'est notre projet.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ce sont nos projets.
Both must be plural.
Match the owner. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: notre/nos
Notre/nos means our.
Fill in the blank.

C'est ___ idée.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: votre
Idée is singular.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

___ efforts sont grands.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Leurs
Efforts is plural.
Make plural. Sentence Transformation

C'est votre idée.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ce sont vos idées.
Both must be plural.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the blank.

C'est ___ maison.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: notre
Maison is singular.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

Ce sont ___ amis.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nos
Amis is plural.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Leur(s) livres.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Leurs
Livres is plural.
Make plural. Sentence Transformation

C'est notre projet.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ce sont nos projets.
Both must be plural.
Match the owner. Match Pairs

Match 'our' to French.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: notre/nos
Notre/nos means our.
Fill in the blank.

C'est ___ idée.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: votre
Idée is singular.
Choose the correct form. Multiple Choice

___ efforts sont grands.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Leurs
Efforts is plural.
Make plural. Sentence Transformation

C'est votre idée.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ce sont vos idées.
Both must be plural.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Fill in the blank Fill in the Blank

Nous aimons ___ amis.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: nos
Find and fix the mistake Error Correction

Leur parents sont là.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Leurs parents sont là.
Translate into French Translation

Your book (formal)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: votre livre
Reorder the words to make a sentence Sentence Reorder

appartement / petit / notre / est

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: notre / appartement / est / petit
Fill in the blank Fill in the Blank

Elles cherchent ___ chaussures.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: leurs
Which one fits the formal context? Multiple Choice

Quel est ___ nom, monsieur ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: votre
Fill in the blank Fill in the Blank

Voici ___ classe.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: notre
Fill in the blank Fill in the Blank

Où sont ___ enfants ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: vos
Fill in the blank Fill in the Blank

Ils adorent ___ chat.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: leur
Translate 'Their photos' Translation

Their photos

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: leurs photos

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

No, 'notre' is gender-neutral.

Use 'nos' when the noun is plural.

No, 'leur' is singular. 'Leurs' is plural.

No, you must use 'nos'.

Yes, it is used for 'you' (formal or plural).

Use 'leur' for singular and 'leurs' for plural.

The 's' indicates the noun is plural.

Yes, they are very common in professional settings.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

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In Other Languages

Spanish high

nuestro/vuestro/su

Spanish possessives agree in gender, French plural-owner ones do not.

German moderate

unser/euer/ihr

German is much more complex due to case endings.

Japanese low

watashitachi no

Japanese does not have gender or number agreement.

Arabic low

Suffixes

Arabic is agglutinative for possessives.

Chinese none

de

Chinese has no agreement whatsoever.

English high

our/your/their

English possessives never change for number or gender.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
My, Your, His/Her in French (mon, ma, mes)
Next
French Pointers: This & That (ce, cet, cette, ces)

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