French Possession: Using 'de' Instead of Apostrophe S
Learn to show possession in French using 'de' phrases, since French has no apostrophe s. Say 'le sac de Maria' and 'la fin du film'.
By TheaFirst conversations · Yapr Learn
In English, you show possession with apostrophe s ('Maria's bag') or 'of' phrases ('the end of the film'). French does not use apostrophe s at all. Instead, French uses the preposition 'de' (meaning 'of') to link a possessed noun to its owner. This lesson teaches you how to express possession with 'de' phrases, focusing on noun possession rather than possessive adjectives like 'mon' or 'ton'. You will learn the patterns, common contractions, and how to avoid typical mistakes.
By the end, you can…
- express possession using 'de' phrases in French.
- correctly contract 'de' with 'le' and 'les' to form 'du' and 'des'.
- distinguish between possessive adjectives and 'de' phrases.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
le sac de Maria
Maria's bag
luh sak duh mah-REE-ah
Use 'de' + owner's name for possession when the owner is a person or animal.
la fin du film
the end of the film
lah fan dew feelm
'du' is the contraction of 'de + le'. Use it with masculine singular nouns.
les clés de la voiture
the car keys
lay klay duh lah vwah-TEWR
'de la' is used with feminine singular nouns. No contraction occurs.
les jouets des enfants
the children's toys
lay zhoo-EH day zahn-FAHN
'des' is the contraction of 'de + les'. Use it with plural nouns.
l'ami de mon frère
my brother's friend
lah-MEE duh mon FREHR
You can combine 'de' phrases with possessive adjectives (mon, ton, etc.) for more precision.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The basic pattern is: possessed noun + de + owner. For example, 'le sac de Maria' (Maria's bag). When the owner is a noun with a definite article (le, la, les), 'de' contracts with 'le' to form 'du', and with 'les' to form 'des'. 'De la' and 'de l'' do not contract. Examples: 'la fin du film' (the end of the film), 'les jouets des enfants' (the children's toys), 'les clés de la voiture' (the car keys), 'l'ami de l'étudiant' (the student's friend).
When to use it
Use 'de' phrases to show possession or belonging when the owner is a specific person, animal, or thing. This is the standard equivalent of English apostrophe s and 'of' phrases. For example, 'la voiture de Paul' (Paul's car), 'le sommet de la montagne' (the top of the mountain). Do not use possessive adjectives like 'son' or 'sa' when you want to name the owner explicitly. Possessive adjectives are used when the owner is already known from context, e.g., 'son sac' (his/her bag). Use 'de' phrases when you need to specify the owner by name or noun.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
C'est le sac de Maria ?
Is this Maria's bag?say luh sak duh mah-REE-ahNon, c'est le sac de Paul.
No, it's Paul's bag.nohn, say luh sak duh POHLEt tu as vu la fin du film ?
And have you seen the end of the film?ay tew ah vew lah fan dew FEELMOui, la fin du film est triste.
Yes, the end of the film is sad.wee, lah fan dew FEELM eh TREESTA little context goes a long way
In French, possessive 'de' phrases are used in all registers, from casual to formal. In informal spoken French, you may occasionally hear 'à' used for possession with people, e.g., 'le sac à Maria' (Maria's bag). This is non-standard and should be avoided in formal writing or careful speech. In standard French, always use 'de'.
One thing to watch for
Using apostrophe s as in English, e.g., 'le sac Maria's'.
Try this instead: French never uses apostrophe s for possession. Always use 'de': 'le sac de Maria'.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you say 'the dog's bone' in French? (le chien = the dog, l'os = the bone)
Show a sample answer
l'os du chien
'Du' is the contraction of 'de + le' because 'chien' is masculine singular. 'L'os' is the possessed noun, followed by 'du chien'.
2Translate: 'the teacher's books' (le professeur = the teacher, les livres = the books)
Show a sample answer
les livres du professeur
'Du' is used because 'professeur' is masculine singular. Note that 'les livres' is plural, but the owner is singular, so 'du' is correct.
3What is the contraction of 'de + les'?
Show a sample answer
des
'Des' is the required contraction. For example, 'les cahiers des étudiants' (the students' notebooks). 'De les' is never used.
French uses 'de' phrases for possession, not apostrophe s. Remember to contract 'de + le' to 'du' and 'de + les' to 'des'.
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