OBJECT PRONOUNS
BASIC RULES:
1. Object pronouns come before the verb of which they are objects, except
when the sentence is an affirmative command.
2. In affirmative commands, the object pronoun immediately follows the verb
and is joined to it by a hyphen.
3. When there are two verbs, the object pronoun comes before the second verb.
4. In the passé composé, object pronouns come before the form
of avoir or être
5. Past participles must agree with preceding direct objects.
TYPES OF OBJECT PRONOUNS:
DIRECT
People, places or things
No prepositon before it
Ask “what” or “whom” with the subject and verb to identify
INDIRECT
People only
“to” or “for” plus a person
OBJECT OF PREPOSITION
People, places or things
All prepositions except for “to” or “for”
DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS
me, m’ (moi in affirmative commands)---me
te, t’ (toi in affirmative commands)---you
le, l’---him or it
la, l’---her or it
nous---us
vous---you
les---them
Notes about direct objects:
Direct objects in sentences can be both people and things.
They can be identified by restating the subject and verb and asking “what”
or “whom”--the answer to the question is the direct object. There
are no prepositions before direct objects. Past participles of verbs must
agree with preceding direct objects.
Examples of direct object pronouns:
Elle donne les fleurs à son mari.
Elle les donne à son mari.
Elle a donné les fleurs à son mari.
Elle les a données à son mari.
(agreement with preceding direct object)
Donnez les fleurs à Lise.
Donnez-les à Lise.
Ne donnez pas les fleurs à Lise.
Ne les donnez pas à Lise.
Je veux donner les fleurs à Lise.
Je veux les donner à Lise.
INDIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS
me, m’ (moi in affirmative commands)---to me, for me
te, t’ (toi in affirmative commands)---to you, for you
lui---to him, to her, for him, for her
nous---to us, for us
vous---to you, for you
leur---to them, for them
Notes about indirect objects:
Indirect objects in sentences can be only people.
Indirect objects can be identified by restating the subject and verb and asking
“to whom” or “for whom”--the answer to the question is
the indirect object. The possible prepositions before indirect objects are:
à, au, à la, à l’, aux and pour. Past participles
of verbs need not agree with preceding indirect objects.
Examples of indirect object pronouns:
Elle donne les fleurs à sa fille.
Elle lui donne les fleurs.
Elle a donné les fleurs à sa fille.
Elle lui a donné les fleurs.
(no agreement with preceding indirect object)
Donnez les fleurs aux enfants.
Donnez-leur les fleurs.
Ne donnez pas les fleurs aux enfants.
Ne leur donnez pas les fleurs.
Je veux donner les fleurs aux enfants.
Je veux leur donner les fleurs.
OBJECTS OF PREPOSITIONS
moi---me
toi---you
lui---him
elle---her
nous---us
vous---you
eux---them
elles---them
y---there, in it, on it, to it, under it, behind it, etc.
en---some, of it, of them
Notes about objects of prepositions:
Objects of prepositions in sentences can be people, things or places. Stress
pronouns are used for people, y and en are used for things and places. Stress
pronouns come after prepositions, y and en come in the same position in the
sentence as other object pronouns. As the category implies, objects of prepositions
are nouns or pronouns that follow prepositions (except “to” or “for”
+ person, explained above under “indirect objects”) Past participles
of verbs need not agree with the pronouns y and en. Y replaces all prepositions
plus places or things, except when the preposition is a form of de. When the
preposition is a form of de, use en. Use en also when replacing a noun preceded
by a number.
Examples of pronouns replacing objects of prepositions:
Elle trouve le numéro dans l’annuaire.
Elle y trouve le numéro.
Elle a trouvé les timbres à la poste.
Elle y a trouvé les timbres.
(no agreement with preceding y)
Allez en France!
Allez-y.
N’allez pas aux toilettes!
N’y allez pas!
Je veux aller aux toilettes.
Je veux y aller.
Il joue au tennis contre ses amis.
Il joue au tennis contre eux.
Je prends trois biscuits.
J’en prends trois.
Je prends du beurre.
J’en prends
Word Order
me, te, se, nous, vous
le, la, les
lui, leur
y
en
Word Order in affirmative commands
le
la
les
moi / m'
toi / t'
lui nous
vous
leur
y
en
