Pour quoi "sa" veste ?

C. M.B1Kwiziq community member

Pour quoi "sa" veste ?

Your example: Elle aime sa nouvelle veste.

I understood from A1 lesson that with clothes (f) we use "la". I noted:

Tu as les mains dans les poches = You have your hands in your pockets

Asked 3 years ago
CélineNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Bonjour Coralie,

Both Chris and Maarten are correct!

la veste = the jacket -> definite article / general comment

sa veste = his/her jacket -> possessive pronoun / whose vest it is 

See previous answer here: les-tes-for-body-part

I hope this is helpful.

Bonne journée !

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

If you want to communicate unambiguously whose vest it is, you have to use the possessive pronoun.

Maarten K.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

It can be a confusing topic - I wrote some comments  previously and there is other discussion at this link that will be too. Check through the QandA: 

For hands in pockets, it will generally be “les”, as to have someone else’s hands in your pockets would be unusual - if that was the case, there would be an expanded description. With a new piece of clothing in this example, and no reflexive verb  - “la veste” would just tell you (she likes) “the jacket” without indicating whose jacket.

Using le, la, les with body parts and clothing (definite articles)

C. M. asked:

Pour quoi "sa" veste ?

Your example: Elle aime sa nouvelle veste.

I understood from A1 lesson that with clothes (f) we use "la". I noted:

Tu as les mains dans les poches = You have your hands in your pockets

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