Foreign Languages
Possessive de.
Definition
In French, the preposition 'de' is used to show possession, equivalent to the English apostrophe-s ('s) or 'of.' Unlike English, French does not use apostrophe-s; instead, the structure is 'noun + de + owner.' When 'de' precedes a definite article, contractions occur.
Examples
Real-world.
- 1 'le livre de Marie' — Marie's book
- 2 'la voiture du professeur' — the teacher's car (de + le = du)
- 3 'les jouets des enfants' — the children's toys (de + les = des)
Key Fact
Contractions: de + le = du, de + les = des. De + la and de + l' do not contract.