French has several translations for “your.” The form depends on whether you are speaking to one person informally or addressing someone formally or speaking to more than one person, and it agrees with the noun.
your in French = ton, ta, tes, votre, or vos, pronounced approximately tohn / tah / teh / voh-truh / voh.
How Do You Say your in French?
For one person you know well, use ton with a masculine singular noun, ta with a feminine singular noun, and tes with plural nouns. For formal singular or any plural audience, use votre with a singular noun and vos with plural nouns.
Meaning: your (possessive adjective)
French possessive adjectives agree with the thing owned, not the owner. A woman still says mon livre (“my book”) because livre is masculine; similarly, select your form based on the noun that follows.
Different Ways to Express your
First choose the relationship to the listener (informal or formal/plural), then match the possessive form to the number and gender of the noun. The same distinction appears in “And you?” in French, with toi and vous.
1. Ton — informal, masculine singular noun
ton livre — your book. Use ton when talking to one person informally and the noun is masculine singular.
2. Ta — informal, feminine singular noun
ta maison — your house. Use ta with a feminine singular noun beginning with a consonant sound.
3. Tes — informal plural nouns
tes amis — your friends. Tes is used with plural nouns of either gender when addressing one person informally.
4. Votre and vos — formal or plural you
votre voiture / vos clés — your car / your keys. Use votre before a singular noun of either gender and vos before plural nouns, whether speaking formally to one person or to several people.
your in French: Quick Comparison
Use this comparison to choose the form that best fits your sentence. Pay attention to whether you are counting, describing a quality, or referring to a particular situation.
| French | Meaning | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| ton livre | your book | Informal singular masculine |
| ta maison | your house | Informal singular feminine |
| tes amis | your friends | Informal plural |
| votre voiture / vos clés | your car / your keys | Formal singular or any plural audience |
How to Pronounce ton, ta, tes, votre, or vos
Ton sounds roughly like “tohn” with a nasal vowel; ta is “tah”; tes is close to “teh.” Votre has two syllables and vos is a single syllable. French r and vowels differ from English.
Example Sentences Using your
Read each example aloud and notice how the surrounding words give the phrase its exact meaning. The English translation is natural rather than a strict word-for-word rendering.
Meaning: Your brother arrives tomorrow.
Use: Informal ton agrees with masculine frère.
Meaning: Your sister lives here.
Use: Informal ta agrees with feminine sœur.
Meaning: Your documents are ready.
Use: Vos is used before a plural noun.
Frequently Asked Questions About your in French
Tap a question below to see the answer.
How do you say “your” in French?
Common forms are ton, ta, tes, votre, and vos.
What is the difference between <em>ton</em> and <em>votre</em>?
Ton is informal singular and precedes a masculine singular noun. Votre is formal singular or plural-audience “your” and precedes a singular noun.
Does <em>votre</em> change for masculine and feminine nouns?
No. Votre is the same for singular masculine and feminine nouns; vos is used with plural nouns.
Why say <em>ton amie</em> instead of <em>ta amie</em>?
Before a feminine singular noun beginning with a vowel sound or mute h, French often uses ton to avoid two vowel sounds together: ton amie.
Do French possessive adjectives agree with the owner?
No. They agree with the possessed noun: ton livre is used regardless of the owner’s gender.
Summary: your in French
Use ton/ta/tes when speaking informally to one person, matching the noun’s gender and number. Use votre before a singular noun and vos before plural nouns for formal singular or plural “you.” Before a feminine noun beginning with a vowel sound, use ton.
