A2 French GrammarObject Pronouns (Direct & Indirect)
Master French direct and indirect object pronouns to make your sentences more natural. Learn me, te, le, la, nous, vous, les (direct) and me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur (indirect). Understand where to place these pronouns in sentences and how to use them with different verb tenses.
1Direct Object Pronouns (le, la, les)
Direct object pronouns replace nouns that receive the action directly: Je vois le livre → Je le vois. The pronouns are me (me), te (you), le (him/it), la (her/it), nous (us), vous (you), les (them). They go before the conjugated verb in simple tenses: Je le mange. Le and la become l' before vowels.
Direct Object Pronouns
| Person | Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | me (m') | nous | me, us |
| 2nd | te (t') | vous | you |
| 3rd masc | le (l') | les | him/it, them |
| 3rd fem | la (l') | les | her/it, them |
Examples
Je regarde le film. → Je le regarde.
I watch the movie. → I watch it.
le replaces masculine noun
Elle aime la musique. → Elle l'aime.
She loves music. → She loves it.
la → l' before vowel
Nous voyons les enfants. → Nous les voyons.
We see the children. → We see them.
les replaces plural noun
Il me comprend.
He understands me.
me = direct object (1st person)
2Indirect Object Pronouns (lui, leur)
Indirect object pronouns replace nouns that receive the action indirectly, typically after 'à ': Je parle à Marie → Je lui parle. The pronouns are me (to me), te (to you), lui (to him/her), nous (to us), vous (to you), leur (to them). Unlike direct pronouns, lui and leur are the same for masculine and feminine.
Indirect Object Pronouns
| Person | Singular | Plural | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | me (m') | nous | to me, to us |
| 2nd | te (t') | vous | to you |
| 3rd | lui | leur | to him/her, to them |
Examples
Je parle à Pierre. → Je lui parle.
I speak to Pierre. → I speak to him.
lui replaces Ă + person
Elle donne un cadeau à ses parents. → Elle leur donne un cadeau.
She gives a gift to her parents. → She gives them a gift.
leur = to them
Il m'envoie un message.
He sends me a message.
m' = to me (indirect)
Tu lui téléphones souvent?
Do you call him/her often?
téléphoner à → lui
3Pronoun Placement in Sentences
Object pronouns go before the conjugated verb in simple tenses: Je le vois. In compound tenses, they go before the auxiliary: Je l'ai vu. With infinitives, they go before the infinitive: Je veux le voir. In negative sentences, pronouns stay between ne and the verb: Je ne le vois pas.
Pronoun Placement
| Construction | Structure | Example | Translation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple tense | pronoun + verb | Je le mange. | I eat it. |
| Passé composé | pronoun + avoir/être | Je l'ai mangé. | I ate it. |
| Infinitive | verb + pronoun + infinitive | Je veux le manger. | I want to eat it. |
| Negative | ne + pronoun + verb + pas | Je ne le mange pas. | I don't eat it. |
Examples
Je l'ai vu hier.
I saw him/it yesterday.
l' before auxiliary (ai)
Elle ne les comprend pas.
She doesn't understand them.
les between ne and verb
Je vais lui téléphoner demain.
I'm going to call him/her tomorrow.
lui before infinitive
Tu peux me l'expliquer?
Can you explain it to me?
two pronouns before infinitive
4Common Verbs with Indirect Objects
Many French verbs take indirect objects with à : parler à (to speak to), téléphoner à (to call), donner à (to give to), dire à (to say to), demander à (to ask). Some verbs take indirect objects in French but direct objects in English, like répondre à quelqu'un (to answer someone).
Verbs with Indirect Objects
| Verb | Meaning | Structure | With Pronoun |
|---|---|---|---|
| parler Ă | to speak to | parler Ă qqn | Je lui parle. |
| téléphoner à | to call | téléphoner à qqn | Je lui téléphone. |
| donner Ă | to give to | donner qqch Ă qqn | Je lui donne. |
| répondre à | to answer | répondre à qqn | Je lui réponds. |
Examples
Je lui ai parlé ce matin.
I spoke to him/her this morning.
parler à → lui
Elle leur Ă©crit des lettres.
She writes letters to them.
écrire à → leur
Tu lui as répondu?
Did you answer him/her?
répondre à → lui
Nous leur avons offert un cadeau.
We gave them a gift.
offrir à → leur