DIRECT AND

INDIRECT
OBJECT
PRONOUNS
INTRODUCTION

• Object pronouns are words which replace nouns. I eat pizza ->
I eat it. I look at the lady -> I look at her.

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DIRECT OBJECT
PRONOUNS
• In French, direct object pronouns are used for
verbs which aren’t followed by prepositions:
Me (me), te (you), nous (us), vous (you), le (him
or it), la (her or it), les (them).
• For example, Je vois le garçon. Je le vois. (I
see the boy. I see him).

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INDIRECT OBJECT
PRONOUNS
• Indirect object pronouns replace nouns for
verbs following by the preposition à (to or at):
Me (me), te (you), nous (us), vous (you), lui (him
or her) and leur (them).
• For example, Je parle à la fille. Je lui parle. (I
speak to the girl. I speak to her).

• Indirect object pronouns y and en are used for

inanimate things and ideas for verbs followed
by à and de.

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HERE THEY
ARE:

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EXTRA INFO.

• For sentences expressing “to” or “at” me, you and us with

verbs not followed by prepositions, the verb endings must
agree with the subject. Here are a few example sentences.
• Je te regarde. I look at you.
• Vous me regardez. You look at me.
• Ils vous regardent. They look at you.
• Nous vous regardons. We look at you.

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EXTRA INFO. CONTINUED

• The following list of common verbs are not followed by the preposition à and
thus take a direct object.
• aimer to like, love
• acheter to buy
• écouter to listen
• attendre to wait
• inviter to invite
• comprendre to understand
• prendre to take
• connaître to know

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• Direct object pronoun for him, her, it and them
• In French, the direct object pronoun must agree in gender and number with the noun it replaces. Here
are some example sentences with the third-person singular and plural direct object pronouns (he, she, it
and them).
• Je regarde le film. Je le regarde. I watch the movie. I watch it.
• Tu regardes la fille. Tu la regardes. You look at the girl. You look at her.
• Je connais Jean. Je le connais. I know Jean. I know him.
• Tu connais Sylvie. Tu la connais. I know Sylvie. I know her.
• Je connais Jean et Sylvie. Je les connais. I know Jean and Sylvie. I know them.

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NEGATION FOR DIRECT
OBJECT PRONOUNS
• To negate a sentence with a direct object pronoun, wrap ne…
pas around both the object pronoun and the verb.

• Je ne mange pas le steak. Je ne le mange pas. I don’t eat the

steak. I don’t eat it.
• Je ne connais pas Marc. Je ne le connais pas. I don’t know
Marc. I don’t know him.

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PASSÉ • In the passé composé, the direct object pronoun
comes before the auxiliary verb. The past participle
COMPOSÉ must agree in number and gender when the direct
object pronoun precedes the verb.
RULE FOR
DIRECT • J’ai mangé le pain. Je l’ai mangé. I ate the bread. I
ate it.
OBJECT • J’ai mangé la pizza. Je l’ai mangée. I ate the pizza. I
PRONOUNS ate it.
• J’ai mangé les frites. Je les ai mangées. I ate the
French fries. I ate them.

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HERE THEY
ARE:

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• Je te parle. I’m speaking to you.
• Vous me parlez. You’re speaking
to me.
• Ils vous parlent. They’re
speaking to you.
• Nous vous parlons. We’re
speaking to you.

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INDIRECT OBJECT
PRONOUNS
• The following common verbs are all followed by à and thus
take an indirect object pronoun.
• parler à quelqu’un to speak to somebody
• répondre à quelqu’un to answer, respond to somebody
• écrire à quelqu’un to write to to write to somebody

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INDIRECT • The indirect object pronouns for him her and the
are lui and leur. The word lui looks like it should be
OBJECT masculine only but it also means her. Here are some
example sentences.
PRONOUNS • Je parle à mon frère. Je lui parle. I speak to my
brother. I speak to him.
• Je parle à ma soeur. Je lui parle. I speak to my sister.
I speak to her.
• Je parle à mon frère et soeur. Je leur parle. I speak to
my brother and sister. I speak to them.

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NEGATION RULE FOR INDIRECT
OBJECT PRONOUNS

• The negation rule for indirect object pronouns is the same as

direct object pronouns. Wrap ne…pas around both the indirect
object pronoun and the verb.
• Je ne parle pas à Marc. Je ne lui parle pas. I’m not speaking
to Marc. I’m not speaking to him.
• Je ne parle pas à Marc et Sylvie. Je ne leur parle pas. I’m not
speaking to Marc and Sylvie. I’m not speaking to them.

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PASSÉ • Unlike direct object pronouns, there is no need to
make the past participles agree in number and gender
COMPOSÉ when the verb is preceded by the indirect object
pronoun in the passé composé.
RULE FOR • J’ai parlé à Marc. Je lui ai parlé. I spoke to Marc. I

INDIRECT spoke to him.

• J’ai parlé à Sylvie. Je lui ai parlé. I spoke to Sylvie. I
OBJECT spoke to her.

PRONOUNS

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INDIRECT OBJECT
PRONOUNS Y AND EN

• The indirect object pronouns y and en are used

to replace inanimate objects (ideas and
things). Y is used to replace inanimate objects
for verbs followed by à and en is used for
inanimate objects for verbs followed by de.

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EXAMPLES WITH Y

• Je pense à ton idée. J’y pense. I’m thinking

about your idea. I’m thinking about it.
• Je réponds à la question. J’y reponds. I’m
answering the question. I’m answering it.
• Je m’habitue à la situation. Je m’y
habitue. I’m getting used to the situation. I’m
getting used to it.

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EXAMPLES WITH EN

• Je parle de la situation. J’en parle. I talk about the situation. I

talk about it.
• J’ai besoin de l’ordinateur. J’en ai besoin. I need the
computer. I need it.
• Je me souviens de mes vacances. Je m’en souviens. I
remember my vacation. I remember it.

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Y WHEN USED WITH ALLER

• In association with verb aller (to go), y means there. For

example, “Je vais à la banque” becomes “J’y vais” for “I go
there”.
• Both “Vas-y” and “Allez-y” mean “Go ahead” when telling
somebody to speak or move ahead in line, for example.

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EN WHEN USED WITH VOULOIR AND
FAIRE

• The verb vouloir (to want) is often followed by “de + noun”

when using the partitive article.
• For example, “Je veux du fromage” (I want some cheese), “Je
veux de la soupe” (I want some soup) or “Je veux des fraises” (I
want some strawberries). For all these sentences, “J’en veux”
means “I want some”.
• The verb faire (to make, do) is followed by “de + noun” as well.
• For example, “Je fais du yoga“, (I do yoga), “Je fais de la
méditation” and “Je fais des exercises” (I do exercises). For all of
these sentences, “J’en fais” means “I do it”.

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DOUBLE OBJECT PRONOUNS

• When two object pronouns occur in the same sentence, the rule is for the indirect object pronoun to
appear before the direct object pronoun.
• The exception to this rule is when there are when both direct and indirect object pronouns appear in
the third-person. In this situation, the direct object pronoun precedes the indirect object pronoun.

This can be summarized in the following table:

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THE TABLE (I THINK OF IT LIKE A FLAG/PENNANT)

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EXAMPLES

• The following example sentences are indirect object pronoun followed by direct object pronoun.

• Il me donne la pizza -> Il me la donne. He gives me the pizza. He gives it to me.

• Je vous envoie la lettre. -> Je vous l’envoie. I send you the letter. -> I send it to you.
• Il nous dit la vérité. -> Il nous la dit. He tells us the truth. -> He tells it to us.

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MORE EXAMPLES

• The following example sentences have both the direct and indirect object pronouns in the third-
person.

• Il explique la situation à son ami. -> Il la lui explique. He explains the situation to his friend. He
explains it to him.
• Elle offre le cadeau à son fils. -> Elle le lui offre. She offers a gift to her son. She offers it to him.
• Il sert un repas à ses amis. Il le leur sert. He serves a meal to his friends. He serves it to them.

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FINAL EXAMPLES

• The following example sentences use y and en. When in doubt on the order of the object pronouns,
use the table above.

• Elle m’ammène à la plage -> Elle m’y ammène. She brings me to the beach. -> She brings me there.
• Il te donne du fromage. -> Il t’en donne. He gives you (some) cheese. -> He gives you some.

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TO HELP
YOU
REMEMBER

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