# FR: à moi / le mien



## juliobenjimino

bonjour

what is the difference between these two ways of saying 'mine' - is it that one is stronger than the other?

merci

PS bonne chance a tous pour Eurovision ce soir


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## pyrolee

Ex. 

Ce livre t'appartien? Oui ce livre est a moi. 
                           Oui c'est le mien. 


I hope that sorta helped. lol


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## polaire

To elaborate, "à moi" is emphatic and often would be used as follows:   "Oui, c'est *mon* livre *à moi.*"Yes, that's _my_ book."

"Oui, c'est le mien" means:  It's my book.


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## juliobenjimino

bon. I thought so.
Merci!


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## inR

Basically none is stronger than the other but, "a moi" is a lot more versatile than "le mien" which will be used only for a singular and male noun while "a moi" can be used for any gender / number case.

Also, "a moi" can be used to say "my", like in "now is my turn" = "c'est a moi maintenant".


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## Denis the fatalist

Sometimes it may also be :
c'est à moi = there is only one of the kind here around, and it's my own

c'est le mien = there are several items, you show one and say : c'est le mien


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## Geysere

inR said:


> Basically none is stronger than the other but, "a moi" is a lot more versatile than "le mien" which will be used only for a singular and male noun while "a moi" can be used for any gender / number case.
> 
> Also, "a moi" can be used to say "my", like in "now is my turn" = "c'est a moi maintenant".


So when we refer to feminine or plural nouns, shall we say:
C'est la mienne.
Ce sont les miens/miennes.
Sounds a bit redundant the second sentence...


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## quinoa

The difference between "à moi" and "le mien, la mienne and so on", sems to lie in the very choice made when you prefer to insist on MOI instead of on the object itself.
With "le mien" you identify an object and keep focusing on it. When you say "à moi" you focus on yourself, certainly because your intention is to state the difference between ME and any hypothetical OTHER.
Just food for thought ...


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## Orchestra

> Quinoa
I like the way you explain it...


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## Cathou

quinoa said:


> The difference between "à moi" and "le mien, la mienne and so on", seems to lie in the very choice made when you prefer to insist on MOI instead of on the object itself.
> With "le mien" you identify an object and keep focusing on it. When you say "à moi" you focus on yourself, certainly because your intention is to state the difference between ME and any hypothetical OTHER.
> Just food for thought ...


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## don't ask me

Basically none is stronger than the other but, "a moi" is a lot more versatile than "le mien" which will be used only for a singular and male noun while "a moi" can be used for any gender / number case.

Also, "a moi" can be used to say "my", like in "now is my turn" = "c'est a moi maintenant".    

And 'La mienne'?


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## jann

don't ask me said:


> And 'La mienne'?


_La mienne_ is just like _le mien_, except that you use it when the thing that is yours is feminine.


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## don't ask me

i know that


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## jann

don't ask me said:


> i know that


So then why did you quote inR's post and ask afterwards, "And 'La mienne'?"  Sorry, I must not have understood your question.


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## sdpc

Actually I think that “il/elle/c’ est à moi “ means you really *own* sth : you hardly use it about a person.
whereas i'm not absolutely sure, but i would say that "c'est le mien (la mienne, etc)" can always be used to translate "it's mine"
 
_ex : C’est ton livre? _
_=>Oui, il est à moi_.   or
_=> Oui, c’est le mien  _(same meaning)
 
But  _« C’est ton père ? »_  (or  _« C’est ton choix ? »_)
=> Oui, c’est le mien 
(you can’t say «Oui, il est à moi »)


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## Geysere

Thank you sdpc, great examples!


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