French direct and indirect object pronouns

Indirect or Direct pronouns (French: les pronoms indirects et directs) are used to replace the complement it can either be a COD or a COI. Even for the COS, we can also use pronouns to replace the complement in this case also it can either be the direct object or the indirect object pronouns. 

Here you wil get an overview about all the complements pronouns in the French grammar

1) French direct object pronouns

The French direct object pronoun replaces a direct object complement (COD) and makes it possible not to repeat the noun. It is always placed before the verb. 

It answers to the question:

• Qui ? (for a person)
• Quoi ? (for a thing)

Have a question?

Take online language lessons with a professional teacher

1. Native & verified teachers
2. Free trial lesson
3. Learning materials included

Emma S.

Ada I.

Eric P.

Anna S.

Angela L.

Louis C.

Anis K.

Ilaria C.

Raquel L.

Deborah S.

Sign up for free

Chart of the French direct object pronouns

Formation of the French direct object pronouns

1. For yourself, the person who is talking (I), you use the pronoun me or m' (in front of a vowel or an h)

• Il connaît Julien depuis le lycée. ------> Il me connaît depuis le lycée. (He knows Julian since high school)
• Ils adorent Marie. -------> Ils m'adorent

This direct object pronouns cannot apply to the 1st plural person: nous

2. For the person who you talking to (you), you use the pronoun te or t' (in front of a vowel or an h)

• Je n'ai pas vu Sandra à la gare. -----> Je ne t'ai pas vu à la gare. (I didn't saw you at the train station)
• Nous tuerons Léo -----> Nous te tuerons. (We will kill you)

This direct object cannot apply to the 2nd plural person: vous

3. For people that are talking (we), you use the pronoun: nous

• Ton amie invite notre famille à dîner. -----> Ton amie nous invite à dîner
• Vous attendez vos amies. -----> Vous nous attendez. 

This pronoun cannot apply to the 1st singular person: je

4. For the people we are talking to (you), you use the pronoun: vous 

• J'attends mes amies et toi -----> Je vous attends
• Je ne vois plus Marie et Rosie -----> Je ne vous vois plus

In general, this pronoun is used in all personal pronouns as a cortesy for a person. 

5. For a person or a thing, you use:

• la or l' for the feminine complement 
• le or l' for the masculine complement
• les for many things or many persons

Examples

Note that the direct object pronouns le,la,les,l' always agree in gender and in number with the complement/noun it replaces. 

2) The French Indirect object pronouns

The French direct object pronoun replaces a indirect object complement (COI) and makes it possible not to repeat the noun. It is always placed before the verb.

It answers to the question: 

• à qui ? 
• à quoi ? 

Chart of the French indirecti object pronouns

These pronouns are usually used with the communication verbs that are built with the preposition à:

• dire à
• téléphoner à
• parler à
• envoyer à
• donner à
• offrir à
• répondre à
• écrire à
• demander à

Examples

Note that in front of a,e,i,o,u,y and h te and me become m' and t'