Object pronouns
le, la, lui, leur, and why they go before the verb.
Object pronouns replace a noun that's the object of a verb. Unlike in English, they go before the verb.
| Direct (him, her, it) | Indirect (to him, to her) | |
|---|---|---|
| me | me, m' | me, m' |
| you | te, t' | te, t' |
| him, it | le, l' | lui |
| her, it | la, l' | lui |
| us | nous | nous |
| you | vous | vous |
| them | les | leur |
- I see Marie. → I see her.
- I'm talking to Paul. → I'm talking to him.
Direct or indirect
Verbs followed by à before a person take the indirect pronouns: parler à, téléphoner à, donner à, dire à, demander à, répondre à. Some verbs that need a preposition in English take a direct object in French: regarder "look at", écouter "listen to", chercher "look for", attendre "wait for". So je l'écoute, "I'm listening to him".
Where they go
| Example | |
|---|---|
| before the verb | Je le connais. |
| in the negative, inside ne … pas | Je ne le connais pas. |
| before avoir or être in the passé composé | Je l'ai vu. Je ne l'ai pas vu. |
| before an infinitive | Je vais le voir. Je veux lui parler. |
| after a positive command, with hyphens | Regarde-le ! Donne-moi ça. |
| before a negative command | Ne le regarde pas ! |
In positive commands me and te become moi and toi: Aide-moi !
Two pronouns together
When two object pronouns meet, they go in this order:
Il me le donne. Je le lui ai dit. Il y en a. For y and en, see Y and en.
Cards from this guide
9 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Pronouns cards.
Where does the object pronoun go in Je vois Marie → "I see her"?
Before the verb: Je la vois.
What's the difference between le and lui?
le is "him" or "it" as a direct object; lui is "to him" or "to her".
How do you say "I'm going to see her"?
Je vais la voir.
Where does the pronoun go in the passé composé?
Before avoir or être: Je l'ai vu.
What does leur mean before a verb?
"To them": Je leur parle.
How do you say "Look at him!"?
Regarde-le !
Why Je l'écoute, not Je lui écoute?
écouter takes a direct object: there's no à.
In what order do le and lui go?
le before lui: Je le lui donne.
How do you say "I don't know her"?
Je ne la connais pas.