Simplifying French Pronouns
| 1.Question: How can you tell the difference between a DIRECT OBJECT and an INDIRECT OBJECT? Answer: DIRECT OBJECTS answer the questions WHO? WHAT? QUI? QUOI? Answer: INDIRECT OBJECTS answer the questions TO WHOM? FOR WHOM? À QUI / POUR QUI? |
| 2.Question: What are some common verbs that are followed by À and that take an indirect object? Answer: Here are some common ones. Notice that many of these verbs do NOT need an indirect object in English. acheter à / pour to buy for J’achète des cadeaux pour mes amis. I’m buying presents for my friends. Je leur achète des cadeaux. I’m buying them some presents. emprunter à to borrow from J’emprunte de l’argent à mon ami. I’m borrowing money from my friend. Je lui emprunte de l’argent. I’m borrowing money from him. prêter à to loan to Je prête ma voiture à mon frère. I’m loaning my car to my brother. Je lui prête ma voiture. I’m loaning him my car. offrir à to give / to offer to J’offre des fleurs à ma copine. I’m giving flowers to my girlfriend. Je lui offre des fleurs. I’m giving her flowers. rendre à to return something to Je rends son livre à Pierre. I’m giving Pierre his book back. Je lui rends son livre. I’m giving him back his book. donner à to give to Je donne à manger aux enfants. I’m feeding the children. Je leur donne à manger. I’m feeding them. vendre à to sell to Je vends des biscuits aux enseignants. I’m selling cookies to the teachers. Je leur vends des biscuits. I’m selling them cookies. parler à to speak to Je parle à mon père. I’m speaking to my father. Je lui parle. I’m speaking to him. demander à to ask Je demande la permission à mon professeur. I’m asking my teacher’s permission. Je lui demande la permission. I’m asking for her permission. dire à to say to Je dis oui à mon fiancé. I’m saying yes to my fiance. Je lui dis oui. I’m telling him yes. téléphoner à to call on the phone Je téléphone aux contributeurs. I’m calling the contributors. Je leur téléphone. I’m calling them. écrire à to write to J’écris une lettre à ma grand-mère. I’m writing a letter to my grandmother. Je lui écris une lettre. I’m writing her a letter. sourire à to smile at Je souris aux étudiants. I’m smiling at the students. Je leur souris. I’m smiling at them. répondre à to reply to Je réponds à Julie. I’m replying to Julie. Je lui réponds. I’m replying to her. souhaiter à to wish to Je souhaite de Joyeuses Fêtes aux voisins. I’m wishing the neighbors Happy Holidays. Je leur souhaite de Joyeuses Fêtes. I’m wishing them Happy Holidays. envoyer à to send to J’envoie un courriel à ma copine. I’m sending an email to my friend. Je lui envoie un courriel. I’m sending her an email. laisser à to leave something to / for Je laisse des devoirs à mes élèves. I’m leaving homework for my students. Je leur laisse des devoirs. I’m leaving them homework. présenter à to introduce to Je présente mon fiancé à mes parents. I’m introducing my fiance to my parents. Je leur présente mon fiancé. I’m introducing my fiance to them. servir à to serve to Je sers de l’eau aux jardiniers. I’m serving the gardeners some water. Je leur sers de l’eau. I’m serving them some water. raconter à to tell a story to Je raconte une histoire aux enfants. I’m telling the children a story. Je leur raconte une histoire. I’m telling them a story. |
| 3. Question: Is LUI both masculine and feminine when used as an indirect object pronoun or are there exceptions to the rule? Answer: When used as an indirect object pronoun LUI can mean HIM or HER and there are no exceptions. |
| 4. Question: How can you know if ME, TE, NOUS and VOUS are reflexive, direct or indirect pronouns? Answer: REFLEXIVE: Look at the subject of the sentence. If the pronoun indicates that the subject is doing something to himself it is reflexive. Answer: DIRECT or INDIRECT? If the subject of the sentence indicates that someone is doing something to someone or something else it may be DIRECT or INDIRECT. Here’s how to tell the difference: Does the pronoun answer WHO or WHAT? It is DIRECT. Does the pronoun answer TO WHOM or FOR WHOM? It is INDIRECT. This is why it is a good idea to know which verbs must be followed by À (see # 2). |
| 5. Question: What is the order to follow when using more than one pronoun in a sentence? Answer: ME – TE – NOUS – VOUS followed by LE – LA – LES followed by LUI – LEUR followed by Y followed by EN |
| 6. Question: What is the order of pronouns in affirmative commands? Answer: LE – LA – LES followed by MOI – TOI – LUI followed by NOUS – VOUS – LEUR followed by Y followed by EN |
| 7. Question: What is the BODY PART rule with reflexive verbs? Answer: BODY PART RULE: Don’t make agreement between the subject and past participle when using reflexive verbs if the past participle is followed by a direct object (a body part). Example: Elle s’est lavé les mains. Even though ÊTRE is the helping verb you don’t need to make agreement. |
| 8. Question: Concerning the BODY PART RULE, what if the body part becomes a direct object pronoun? Do I then make agreement? Answer: Yes. In that case the direct object (body part) will fall before the past participle and you must make agreement. Note that you’re making agreement with the direct object and not with the subject of the sentence. Example: Elle se les est lavées. |
| 9. Question: Is there an easy trick to help remember when to use French pronouns? Answer: Easy? Probably not, but I’ll try! ME Someone does something to me or for me TE Someone does something to you or for you NOUS Someone does something to us or for us VOUS Someone does something to you or for you LE Means HIM or IT if the object is singular and masculine Don’t use LE when someone does something TO or FOR a person LA Means HER or IT if the object is singular and feminine Don’t use LA when someone does something TO or FOR a person LES Means THEM whether you’re talking about people, animals or things, masculine or feminine. Don’t use LES when someone does something to people or animals. LUI Means HIM or HER, can refer to people or animals. Use LUI when someone is doing something TO or FOR someone. LEUR Means THEM, masculine or feminine people or animals. Use LEUR when someone is doing something TO or FOR someone. Y Means THERE or IT, can refer to places or things (not people). Use Y when you have a PREPOSITION followed by a place or thing. Don’t use Y when the preceding PREPOSITION is any form of DE. EN Means SOME (OF THEM), ANY or ONE Use EN in the following situations: DE LA, DU, DES, DE L’, DE, D’ + noun ANY NUMBER (including UN – UNE) + noun EXPRESSIONS OF QUANTITY + DE + noun |
| 10. Question: I thought LUI could only be masculine. Answer: When LUI is used as an indirect object pronoun it means HIM or HER. When LUI is used as a stressed pronoun it means HIM and ELLE means HER. |
