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Ce stylo est le tien.

Ce stylo est le tien.
This pen is yours.
FromLesson 24inHardcore French

Breakdown of Ce stylo est le tien.

être
to be
ce
this
le stylo
the pen
le tien
yours

Questions & Answers about Ce stylo est le tien.

What does le tien mean here?
It means yours when speaking to one person informally. It’s a possessive pronoun referring to a masculine singular thing (here, stylo).
Why is there le before tien?
French possessive pronouns are formed with the definite article: le/la/les + mien, tien, sien, nôtre, vôtre, leur. The article agrees with the thing possessed. Since stylo is masculine singular, you use le tien.
How does it change for a feminine noun?
Use la tienne. Example: Cette voiture est la tienne.
And for plurals?
  • Masculine plural: les tiens (e.g., Ces livres sont les tiens.)
  • Feminine plural: les tiennes (e.g., Ces chaises sont les tiennes.)
What’s the difference between le tien and ton?
  • le tien is a possessive pronoun; it replaces a noun: Ce stylo est le tien.
  • ton is a possessive adjective/determiner; it must precede a noun: C’est ton stylo. You cannot say C’est le tien stylo.
Can I also say Ce stylo est à toi?
Yes. Être à + stressed pronoun is a common equivalent: Ce stylo est à toi. It’s very natural in speech and avoids gender/number agreement issues.
Which version sounds most natural in everyday conversation?
People often say C’est ton stylo ? or Ce stylo est à toi ? The form Ce stylo est le tien is perfectly correct, just a bit more careful or written.
How do I say the polite/formal yours?
Use le vôtre / la vôtre / les vôtres. Example: Ce stylo est le vôtre.
How do I say his/hers with this pattern?
Use the third-person forms (they depend on the thing, not the owner): le sien, la sienne, les siens, les siennes. Example: Ce stylo est le sien = “this pen is his/hers” (context decides).
Why is it Ce stylo and not Cet stylo or Cette stylo?
Does le tien agree with the owner or with the thing?
With the thing. Owner’s gender doesn’t matter. For Marie: Ce livre est le tien (masc. sing.), Cette voiture est la tienne (fem. sing.).
Can I drop the noun and just say C’est le tien?
Yes. When the context is clear, you can say C’est le tien or Le tien est là.
How do I say “These pens are yours”?
Ces stylos sont les tiens. Alternatives: Ce sont tes stylos. / Ces stylos sont à toi.
How would I ask “Is this pen yours?” in different registers?
  • More formal: Ce stylo est-il le tien ?
  • Neutral: Ce stylo est à toi ?
  • Casual: C’est ton stylo ?
Any quick pronunciation tips?
  • Ce [sə]
  • stylo [sti-lo]
  • est [ɛ]
  • le [lə]
  • tien [tjɛ̃] (nasal vowel, like “tyehn” without pronouncing the final n)
AI Language TutorTry it ↗
“How does grammatical gender work in French?”
Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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