PRONOUN / LE PRONOM

A pronoun replaces a noun or a phrase without identifying it.Pronouns agree in gender and number with the words they replace.

 

PERSONAL PRONOUNS / LE PRONOM PERSONNEL

		Pronoun		Subject		Direct Object		Indirect Object		Reflexive		Emphatic
singular		I		je		me		me		me		moi
		you (sing)		tu		te		te		te		toi
		he		il		le		lui		se		lui
		she		elle		la		lui		se		elle
plural		we		nous		nous		nous		nous		nous
		you (pl)		vous		vous		vous		vous		vous
		they(m)		ils		les		leur		se		eux
		they (f)		elles		les		leur		se		elles

1. The forms je, me, te, le, la,andseare contracted to j', m', l', l',and s'before a vowel or a silenth.

2. You: Tuis used in addressing family members, close friends, and children.Vousis used in addressing everyone else. Teachers address their students as tuuntil high school or university.

3. useilsto refer to mixed-gender third person plural nouns: ( il+ elle= ils)

4. Il estis also used impersonally before de+ infinitive and in clauses beginning with que: Il est difficile de parler français. Il est vrai que c'est difficile.

5. Leis also used impersonally to replace an adjective, clause, infinitive, or unmodified noun: Est-elle folle? Non, elle ne I'est pas. llveutvenir. Elle te veut aussi.

1. Subject, direct objectandindirect objectpronouns are used similarly to the way they are used in English: Je donne les bonbons a mon frère. Je les lui donne.(I give the candies to my brother. I give them to him.)

   1. Many verbs that take direct objects in English need prepositions in French and vice versa . Je ressemble à Pierre. Je lui ressemble.(I resemble Pierre/him). Je cbercbe la clé. Je la cbercbe.(I'm looking for the key/it).

2. Reflexiveprounouns are used:

   1. With reflexive verbs (see verb section)

   2. When the subject and object of the verb happen to be the same: Il se donne des fleurs.

   3. When there is reciprocity of action with a plural subject: Il se voient. Nous nous aimons.

3. Emphatic(disjunctive, stressed) pronouns are used:

   1. For emphasis: Moi, je I'adore.(Me, I adore him.)

   2. To express by myself, etc. with même(s): Il se l'ont fait eux-mêmes(They did it themselves.)

   3. As the object of a preposition: avec toi, pour moi, sanseux, surelles,etc.

   4. In compound subjects or objects: Lui et Marie se regardent. (He and Marie look at each other.)

   5. After ce+ être: c'est moi!(It's mel) After ce+ être+ àto show possession: C'est à moi!(it's mine!)

 

ADVERBIAL PRONOUNS: Y AND EN

1. Y:For ideas, places, things. Replaces à+ noun, as well as other phrases of location beginning with prepositions chez, dans, en, sous, sur: Je vais au cinéma. J'y vais. Je pense à la liberté. J'y pense.

2. EN:for ideas, places, things. Replaces de+ noun. Vous parlezde I'avenir? Non, nous n'en parlons pas.(Are you talking a bout the future? No, we're not talking about it.) Tu as des bonbons? Oui, j'en ai.(Do you have any candies? Yes, I have some.)

 

ORDER OF PRONOUNS IN A SENTENCE

subject		(ne)		me						y		en		conjugated verb		(pas)		(past participle)
			te		le
			se		la		lui
			nous		les		leur
			vous

1. If two of me, te, se, nous, vousappear, the reflexive pronoun comes first: Je me vous donne.

2. Word order changes in affirmative commands and the inverted interrogative form, see imperatives section.