The possessive pronouns are nouns that replace the possessive nouns modified by the possessive adjectives. They agree in gender and number with the noun they replace, not with the possessor.
For example:
C’est mon stylo. C’est le mien.
“le mien” in the sentence above replaces “mon stylo”. When we use the possessive pronouns, we generally want to avoid repetition or emphasize the possession of an object. Observe the following example:
Mes parents sont très stricts alors que les tiens sont très ouverts.
My parents are very strict whereas yours are very open-minded.
“les tiens” in this sentence are used to avoid repeating the word “parents”. So, instead of saying: “Mes parents sont très stricts, alors que tes parents sont très ouverts”, we replaced “tes parents” par “les tiens”.
The following table has all the forms of the possessive pronouns.
As you can see in the table above, all possessive pronouns are preceded with the definite articles: le/la/les depending whether the object possessed is singular, plural, feminine or masculine.
More examples:
Je vis ma vie. Elle vit la sienne.
I live my life. She lives hers.
Ses enfants sont toujours à l’heure et les miens sont toujours en retard.
Her kids are always on time, and mine are always late.
Notre maison est déjà en vente. Et la vôtre ?Our house is already for sale. How about yours?
Vos enfants sont encore trop jeunes mais les siens sont déjà à la fac.
Your kids are still too young, but his/hers are already in college.
C’est à qui ces beaux vêtements? Ce sont les vôtres ?
Whose are these beautiful clothes? Yours?
Non, les leurs.
No, theirs.
Voulez-vous que je vous prête mon parapluie ?
Do you want to borrow my umbrella?
Non, merci j’ai ramené le mien.
No, thanks I brought mine.
Nous utiliserons votre réfrigérateur car le nôtre ne marche plus.
We’ll use your refrigerator because ours doesn’t work.
Ma fille est timide mais la tienne est sociable.
My daughter is very shy but yours is outgoing.
Prête moi tes revues, je te prêterai les miennes.
Lend me your magazines; I’ll lend you mine.
Chacun a pris sa place.
Chacun a pris la sienne.
When “on” is used as a first person plural, we use “le nôtre”.
Tu achètes ton pain à la boulangerie du quartier. On achète le nôtre au supermarché.
You buy your bread from the bakery down the street. We buy ours at the supermarket.
The preposition “à” is replaced with the preposition “au” or “aux” when the possessive pronoun is used to replace a masculine singular noun or a plural(masculine or feminine) noun.
The preposition “de” is replaced with the preposition “du” or “des” when the possessive pronoun is used to replace a singular masculine noun or a plural noun (masculine or feminine.)
Examples:
Il a parlé à son avocat et elle a parlé au sien.
He spoke to his lawyer and she spoke to hers.
Je me suis occupé de mon projet. Il s’est occupé du sien.
I took care of my project. He took care of his.
Elle a téléphoné à ses amies. J’ai téléphoné aux miennes.
She called her girlfriends. I called mine.
Il parle très rarement de ses parents. Je parle tout le temps des miens.
He speaks rarely about his parents. I talk all the time about mine.
For example:
C’est mon stylo. C’est le mien.
“le mien” in the sentence above replaces “mon stylo”. When we use the possessive pronouns, we generally want to avoid repetition or emphasize the possession of an object. Observe the following example:
Mes parents sont très stricts alors que les tiens sont très ouverts.
My parents are very strict whereas yours are very open-minded.
“les tiens” in this sentence are used to avoid repeating the word “parents”. So, instead of saying: “Mes parents sont très stricts, alors que tes parents sont très ouverts”, we replaced “tes parents” par “les tiens”.
The following table has all the forms of the possessive pronouns.
Person | Singular | Plural | |||
Masculine | Feminine | Masculine | Feminine | ||
| 1st person singular | le mien | la mienne | les miens | les miennes | mine |
| 2nd person singular | le tien | la tienne | les tiens | les tiennes | yours |
| 3rd person singular | le sien | la sienne | les siens | les siennes | his/hers |
| 1st person plural | le nôtre | la nôtre | les nôtres | les nôtres | ours |
| 2nd person plural | le vôtre | la vôtre | les vôtres | les vôtres | yours |
| 3rd person plural | le leur | la leur | les leurs | les leurs | theirs |
As you can see in the table above, all possessive pronouns are preceded with the definite articles: le/la/les depending whether the object possessed is singular, plural, feminine or masculine.
More examples:
Je vis ma vie. Elle vit la sienne.
I live my life. She lives hers.
Ses enfants sont toujours à l’heure et les miens sont toujours en retard.
Her kids are always on time, and mine are always late.
Notre maison est déjà en vente. Et la vôtre ?Our house is already for sale. How about yours?
Vos enfants sont encore trop jeunes mais les siens sont déjà à la fac.
Your kids are still too young, but his/hers are already in college.
C’est à qui ces beaux vêtements? Ce sont les vôtres ?
Whose are these beautiful clothes? Yours?
Non, les leurs.
No, theirs.
Voulez-vous que je vous prête mon parapluie ?
Do you want to borrow my umbrella?
Non, merci j’ai ramené le mien.
No, thanks I brought mine.
Nous utiliserons votre réfrigérateur car le nôtre ne marche plus.
We’ll use your refrigerator because ours doesn’t work.
Ma fille est timide mais la tienne est sociable.
My daughter is very shy but yours is outgoing.
Prête moi tes revues, je te prêterai les miennes.
Lend me your magazines; I’ll lend you mine.
Remember:
When the possessor is an indefinite pronoun subject such as “on”, “chacun”, “tout le monde”, the pronouns le sien, la sienne, les siens, les siennes are used.Chacun a pris sa place.
Chacun a pris la sienne.
When “on” is used as a first person plural, we use “le nôtre”.
Tu achètes ton pain à la boulangerie du quartier. On achète le nôtre au supermarché.
You buy your bread from the bakery down the street. We buy ours at the supermarket.
The preposition “à” is replaced with the preposition “au” or “aux” when the possessive pronoun is used to replace a masculine singular noun or a plural(masculine or feminine) noun.
The preposition “de” is replaced with the preposition “du” or “des” when the possessive pronoun is used to replace a singular masculine noun or a plural noun (masculine or feminine.)
Examples:
Il a parlé à son avocat et elle a parlé au sien.
He spoke to his lawyer and she spoke to hers.
Je me suis occupé de mon projet. Il s’est occupé du sien.
I took care of my project. He took care of his.
Elle a téléphoné à ses amies. J’ai téléphoné aux miennes.
She called her girlfriends. I called mine.
Il parle très rarement de ses parents. Je parle tout le temps des miens.
He speaks rarely about his parents. I talk all the time about mine.