leur / leurs
Third-person Plural Possessive Leur, Leurs
Leur and leurs both mean 'their'. Use leur before one thing (leur chat) and leurs before multiple things (leurs chats).
How It Works
The words leur and leurs are used when the possessors are plural (ils or elles).
1. Singular Object: leur
Use leur when a group of people owns one single thing together, or when referring to one item per person in the group.
Example: Ils aiment leur maison. (They love their house.)
2. Plural Objects: leurs
Use leurs when the group owns multiple things.
Example: Elles cherchent leurs clés. (They are looking for their keys.)
3. Gender Neutrality
Unlike mon/ma or son/sa, leur does not change for masculine or feminine nouns. It is always leur for singular and leurs for plural.
4. Pronunciation and Liaison
In most cases, leur and leurs sound exactly the same (/lœʁ/). However, when leurs is followed by a word starting with a vowel or a silent 'h', you must perform a liaison, pronouncing a 'z' sound: leurs_amis (leur-zami).
Examples (5)
- Ils mangent leur pomme.
They are eating their apple.
Word by Word: They eat their apple.
Use 'leur' because there is only one apple being shared or discussed.
- Les enfants ont perdu leurs jouets.
The children lost their toys.
Word by Word: The children have lost their toys.
Use 'leurs' because 'jouets' (toys) is plural.
- Elles adorent leur nouvelle voiture.
They love their new car.
Word by Word: They love their new car.
Even though 'voiture' is feminine, 'leur' remains the same. It only changes for plural objects.
- Les voisins vendent leurs vélos.
The neighbors are selling their bikes.
Word by Word: The neighbors sell their bikes.
Since there are multiple bikes, we use the plural form 'leurs'.
- Ils parlent à leurs amis.
They are talking to their friends.
Word by Word: They speak to their friends.
Note the 'z' sound (liaison) between 'leurs' and 'amis'.
Common Mistakes
Using 'ses' instead of 'leurs' for multiple owners.
Mes parents aiment ses chiens.Mes parents aiment leurs chiens.'Ses' means 'his' or 'her' (one owner). Since 'parents' is plural, you must use 'leurs'.
Adding an 's' to 'leur' when it is an indirect object pronoun.
Je leurs donne un cadeau.Je leur donne un cadeau.When 'leur' means 'to them' (a pronoun), it never takes an 's'. Only the possessive adjective 'leurs' (their) takes an 's' before plural nouns.
How It Connects
Learn This First
To understand 'leur' and 'leurs', you must first be familiar with how French possessive adjectives function, specifically that they agree in number with the noun being possessed rather than the possessor. You also need to recognize plural noun endings to choose between the singular and plural forms of the possessive.
- mon / ma / mesFirst-person Possessive Mon, Ma, Mes
Understanding the basic concept of possessive adjectives in French and how they agree with the noun they modify is essential.
Level 1 - ils / ellesThird-person Plural Ils and Elles
Learners need to understand the third-person plural context (they) to correctly apply the corresponding possessive (their).
Level 1
Related Patterns
- son / sa / sesThird-person Possessive Son, Sa, Ses
Third-person singular possessives (his/her) often confused with the plural 'leur'.
Level 1 - Linking a silent consonant to the next vowel
Explains the 'z' sound heard when 'leurs' precedes a vowel.
Level 1 - me / te / lui / nous / vous / leurIndirect Object Pronouns Me/te/lui/nous/vous/leur
The pronoun 'leur' (to them) is a homophone but follows different grammar rules (it is invariable).
Level 2
Words in This Pattern
Practice leur / leurs in Bubblegum
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