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French Phrase

C'est ton cahier ?

/sɛ tɔ̃ ka.je/

Meaning"Is this your notebook?"

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Meaning

Literally, “Is this your notebook?” The speaker is confirming whether the notebook in question belongs to the listener. The informal tone comes from the use of ton and the spoken‑question intonation.

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When to use

Use this phrase when you pick up an object and want to check who it belongs to, especially in casual settings with friends, classmates, or family members.

✦Grammar Breakdown

C'esttoncahier?

1

C'est (ce + est)

C'est is the contraction of the demonstrative pronoun ce (this/that) and the verb être (to be). It is used to identify or describe something.

2

Possessive adjective ton

Ton is the masculine singular form of the possessive adjective meaning 'your' (informal). It agrees with the gender and number of the noun that follows.

3

Noun gender – cahier

Cahier is a masculine noun meaning 'notebook' or 'exercise book'.

4

Forming yes‑no questions

In spoken French, you can turn a statement into a question simply by raising intonation, as in C'est ton cahier ?

🗨In Conversation

A

C'est ton cahier ?

Is this your notebook?

Oui, c'est le mien. Merci de me le rendre.

Yes, it’s mine. Thanks for giving it back to me.

B

✕Common Mistakes

C'est le ton cahier ?
Do not add the article le before the noun when using C'est. The structure is C'est + noun, not C'est le + noun.
C'est ton votre cahier ?
Using votre (formal) with C'est is acceptable, but you must keep the correct gender: C'est votre cahier ? not C'est votre cahier ? (the same, but avoid mixing informal ton with formal votre in the same sentence).
C'est ton cahiers ?
Cahier is singular; if you mean plural, change both the noun and the possessive: Ce sont tes cahiers ?

↔Alternatives

Est‑ce ton cahier ?
Is it your notebook?
Ce cahier, c'est le tien ?
This notebook, is it yours?
C'est ton livret ?
Is this your booklet?

Cultural Tip

French speakers often prefer C'est + noun for quick identification in informal speech. For a more formal or written question, switch to the inversion form Est‑ce que… or Est‑ce … ?. Also, remember to match the possessive adjective (ton/ta, votre) with the listener’s level of familiarity and the gender of the noun.