notre
/nɔtʁ/
The French word for 'our' is notre. Wiktionary also lists nos.
Meaning: belonging to us (det)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| notre | /nɔtʁ/ /nɔt/ (informal) |
| nos | /no/ |
notre and nos are used to express that something belongs to us.
Which one should you use?
Unlike English, where 'our' stays the same for singular and plural nouns, French changes the form of 'our' to match the number of the noun being possessed.
How does it change in a sentence?
Use notre when the noun it modifies is singular, regardless of whether the noun is masculine or feminine. Use nos when the noun it modifies is plural, regardless of whether the noun is masculine or feminine.
How do you pronounce it?
/nɔtʁ/
Did you know?
- The Latin root 'noster' used for notre also shares a distant lineage with the English word 'nostrum', a term used for a medicine that is claimed to be effective but is often of questionable value.
- In formal legal documents or royal decrees, nous and notre were historically used as the 'royal we' to refer to a single person of high rank.
- In French, the expression notre dame refers both to 'Our Lady' in a religious sense and to the famous cathedral in Paris.
Examples in context
- Ce sont nos amis.They're our friends.This sentence is useful for showing how to use nos with plural nouns.Tatoeba #3438386 by sacredceltic, translation #2243661 by CK
- Il y a notre bus.There's our bus.This sentence is useful for showing how to use notre with singular nouns.Tatoeba #5301139 by Aiji, translation #2252675 by CK
- Où sont nos amis ?Where are our friends?Tatoeba #4910600 by sacredceltic, translation #3738446 by CK
- Notre livre est intéressant.Our book is interesting.
- Notre professeur est talentueux.Our teacher is talented.
- Notre château est ancien.Our castle is old.
- Notre table est jolie.Our table is pretty.
- Notre amie est gentille.Our friend is kind.
- Notre voiture est rapide.Our car is fast.
- Nos vacances ont été formidables.Our holidays were fantastic.
- Nos amis sont sympathiques.Our friends are nice.
- Nos maisons sont grandes.Our houses are big.
- Nos amis sont géniaux.Our friends are awesome.
- Nos idées sont similaires.Our ideas are similar.
- Nos voisins sont amicaux.Our neighbors are friendly.
- 3257 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Emma are looking for their keys in a cafe.
- HugoOù est notre sac ?Where is our bag?
- EmmaIl est sur la table.It is on the table.
- HugoEst-ce que c'est notre livre aussi ?Is that our book too?
- EmmaOui, c'est le nôtre.Yes, it is ours.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “our” translations and entries notre, nos, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
