📘 French Grammar Lesson: Should I Write Leur or Leurs?
In French, “leur” and “leurs” are both used as possessive adjectives, meaning their in English. The difference lies in the number of things owned, not the number of owners.
Let’s break this down simply.
🧩 The Golden Rule
👉 Ask yourself:
How many things are being possessed?
| Use | When to Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| leur | Before a singular noun | Ils aiment leur mère. → They love their mother. |
| leurs | Before a plural noun | Ils aiment leurs parents. → They love their parents. |
🔴 Important: It doesn’t matter how many people own the thing(s). What matters is how many things they own.
✅ Examples to Compare
| French | English | Why? |
|---|---|---|
| Elles ont leur voiture. | They have their car. | One car shared or owned individually. The noun is singular. |
| Elles ont leurs voitures. | They have their cars. | Several cars. The noun is plural. |
| Les enfants ont leur professeur. | The children have their teacher. | One teacher (same for all). |
| Les enfants ont leurs professeurs. | The children have their teachers. | Multiple teachers (e.g., each child has one). |
🚨 Common Mistake to Avoid
❌ Don’t confuse with subject agreement!
Example:
-
Marc et Julie cherchent leur chien. ✅ (One dog = singular noun)
-
Marc et Julie cherchent leurs chiens. ✅ (More than one dog)
Even though Marc et Julie are two people, we only add an -s to leur if the thing owned is plural.
🧠 A Quick Grammar Recap
Leur / Leurs = possessive adjectives used with ils/elles.
| Subject | Singular (1 item) | Plural (several items) |
|---|---|---|
| ils / elles | leur | leurs |
📝 Quick Quiz
Fill in the blank with leur or leurs:
-
Ils cherchent ___ clés.
✅ leurs (they’re looking for their keys) -
Les enfants adorent ___ grand-mère.
✅ leur (one grandmother) -
Les étudiants rangent ___ livres.
✅ leurs -
Elles prennent soin de ___ chat.
✅ leur
💬 Summary
| If the thing possessed is… | Use |
|---|---|
| Singular | leur |
| Plural | leurs |
✅ Always look at the noun that follows to choose correctly.
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