Demonstrative pronouns

A possessive pronoun is a type of word like mine, yours and hers that gives information about who or what possesses something.

In French they are made up of the definite article followed by a word indicating possession: le mien, la tienne, les vôtres etc. Like most pronouns in French, they have to agree with the noun they are replacing. They have the following forms:

Dans quel magasin as-tu acheté cet écharpe? Celui sur la rue Pasteur

Which shop did you buy this scarf in? The one on Rue Pasteur

Quelle robe préfères-tu? Celle aux manches courtes

Which dress do you prefer? The one with the short sleeves

Possessive pronouns are commonly used with –ci and –là to distinguish between different things:

J’aime bien cette robe, mais je préfère celle-là

I like this dress, but I prefer that one

Voici deux livres. Celui-ci est bon marché, celui-là est plus cher

Here are two books. This one is cheap, that one is more expensive