Pronouns: Subject Object and Relative
Pronouns in French
Using pronouns correctly avoids repetition and demonstrates grammatical sophistication — a clear route to higher marks.
Subject Pronouns
| French | English |
|---|---|
| je (j') | I |
| tu | you (informal singular) |
| il / elle / on | he / she / one (we) |
| nous | we |
| vous | you (formal / plural) |
| ils / elles | they (m / f) |
Key point: Use tu for friends and family, vous for adults you don't know well (important in role plays).
On is extremely useful: it can mean "we" (informal), "one", or "people in general":
- On mange bien en France. — People eat well in France / We eat well in France.
Direct Object Pronouns
Replace the thing being acted upon directly:
| Pronoun | Meaning |
|---|---|
| me (m') | me |
| te (t') | you |
| le (l') | him / it (m) |
| la (l') | her / it (f) |
| nous | us |
| vous | you |
| les | them |
They go before the verb:
- Je le mange. — I eat it.
- Elle les aime. — She likes them.
- Je l'ai vu hier. — I saw him/it yesterday. (before auxiliary in passé composé)
Indirect Object Pronouns
Replace the person something is done to or for:
| Pronoun | Meaning |
|---|---|
| me (m') | to me |
| te (t') | to you |
| lui | to him / to her |
| nous | to us |
| vous | to you |
| leur | to them |
- Je lui donne un cadeau. — I give him/her a present.
- Il leur parle souvent. — He often speaks to them.
The Pronoun y
Replaces a place or à + noun:
- J'y vais demain. — I'm going there tomorrow.
- On y mange bien. — You eat well there.
The Pronoun en
Replaces de + noun or a quantity:
- J'en ai trois. — I have three (of them).
- Tu en veux? — Do you want some?
Relative Pronouns
Join two sentences together — essential for complex structures:
| Pronoun | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| qui | subject (who/which/that) | La fille qui parle est ma sœur. — The girl who is speaking is my sister. |
| que | object (whom/which/that) | Le film que j'ai vu était super. — The film that I saw was great. |
| où | where / when | La ville où j'habite est grande. — The town where I live is big. |
| dont | of which / whose | C'est le livre dont j'ai besoin. — It's the book I need. |
Emphatic (Stressed) Pronouns
Used after prepositions and for emphasis: moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles
- Chez moi — at my house
- Avec eux — with them
- C'est pour toi. — It's for you.
Exam Tips
- In writing, replace repeated nouns with pronouns to avoid repetition — examiners reward this.
- qui vs que: qui is followed by a verb, que is followed by a subject + verb.
- Using y and en correctly is a strong Grade 7+ indicator.
- In speaking, practise answering with pronouns: Q: "Tu aimes le football?" A: "Oui, je l'adore" rather than repeating "le football".