votre / vos

Formal or Plural Possessive Votre, Vos

Level 1

Votre and vos both mean 'your'. Use votre for one item and vos for multiple items. They are used with the pronoun vous.

How It Works

Possessive adjectives like votre and vos indicate who something belongs to. They always correspond to the subject vous.

1. Choosing between Votre and Vos
Unlike other possessive adjectives (like mon/ma/mes), votre does not change based on whether the noun is masculine or feminine. You only need to look at the number:

  • Votre + Singular Noun (e.g., votre voiture, votre sac)
  • Vos + Plural Noun (e.g., vos voitures, vos sacs)

2. When to use them
French uses votre/vos in two specific contexts:

  • Formal Singular: When speaking to one person you don't know well, a superior, or an elder (the 'polite' your).
  • Plural: When speaking to a group of people, even if they are close friends or family.

3. Pronunciation and Liaison
In votre, the 'o' is short and open. In vos, the 'o' is a closed sound (like the 'o' in 'no'), and the 's' is usually silent. However, if the following word starts with a vowel or a mute 'h', you must perform a liaison, pronouncing the 's' as a /z/ sound (e.g., vos amis sounds like 'voh-zah-mee').

Examples (5)

  1. C'est votre valise ?

    Is this your suitcase?

    Word by Word: It is your suitcase?

    Used here for a single item (valise) in a formal or plural context.

  2. Où sont vos enfants ?

    Where are your children?

    Word by Word: Where are your children?

    Used here for multiple items (enfants). Note the 'z' sound liaison between 'vos' and 'enfants'.

  3. J'aime beaucoup votre idée.

    I like your idea very much.

    Word by Word: I like much your idea.

    Even though 'idée' is feminine, 'votre' remains the same for both genders.

  4. N'oubliez pas vos clés.

    Don't forget your keys.

    Word by Word: Do not forget not your keys.

    A common plural command using 'vos' for multiple keys.

  5. Voici votre café, Monsieur.

    Here is your coffee, Sir.

    Word by Word: Here is your coffee, Mister.

    A classic example of the formal singular use of 'votre'.

Common Mistakes

  • Using 'votre' with plural nouns.

    Où sont votre lunettes ?
    Où sont vos lunettes ?

    Even if you are talking to only one person (formal), if the object is plural (glasses), you must use 'vos'.

  • Confusing 'votre' (adjective) with 'le vôtre' (pronoun).

    C'est le vôtre livre.
    C'est votre livre.

    The adjective 'votre' must be followed by a noun. The pronoun 'le vôtre' (with a circumflex) replaces the noun entirely.

  • Using 'ton' for a group of people.

    Salut les amis, où est ton voiture ?
    Salut les amis, où est votre voiture ?

    Even if you are being informal with friends, you must use 'votre' or 'vos' when addressing more than one person.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

votre / vosLevel 1Formal or Plural Possessive Votre, Vos

Learn This First

To use 'votre' and 'vos' correctly, you must first understand the 'vous' form of address (used for formal or plural 'you'). You also need to be able to distinguish between singular and plural nouns, as the possessive adjective must agree with the number of the object possessed.

Words in This Pattern