Possessive de

Foreign Languages

Definition

In French, the preposition 'de' is used to show possession, equivalent to the English apostrophe-s ('s) or 'of.' Unlike English, French does not use apostrophe-s; instead, the structure is 'noun + de + owner.' When 'de' precedes a definite article, contractions occur.

Examples

  • 'le livre de Marie' — Marie's book
  • 'la voiture du professeur' — the teacher's car (de + le = du)
  • 'les jouets des enfants' — the children's toys (de + les = des)
Key Fact

Contractions: de + le = du, de + les = des. De + la and de + l' do not contract.

Related Terms

Possessive articles Partitive articles Demonstrative adjectives Prepositions of location

Study This Concept

Practice possessive de with free review games in these units:

Mandarin Chinese 1 Unit 3: Family and Friends