Explanation of Object Pronouns in French

An Object Pronoun replaces the object noun in a sentence with a pronoun. These pronouns are
usually placed before the verb.(we will look at the exceptions later)
1.Complément d’Objets directes (COD) means Direct Object Pronoun:
Marie eats the cake. Marie is subject, the cake is object. In English we replace the word cake by
it. Marie eats it.
Marie mange le gateau. The word le gateau is replaced by ‘le’ (masculine) and it is placed before
the verb. Marie le mange.
The Object is direct because we can ask a direct question. Marie mange quoi? Marie eats what?
There is no preposition after the verb in a direct object case.
Other examples: Je comprends l’anglais. Je le comprends.
Marc appelle la fille. Marc l’appelle.
L’homme prend la pomme. L’homme la prend.
Les enfants regardent Ravi et toi. Les enfants vous regardent.
Special case: When used with Impératif (positive order), the direct object comes after the verb.
Eg. Ouvre la porte! Ouvre-la! (Open the door, open it)
Appelle-moi! (Call me) Me becomes moi after the verb in imperatif
2.Complément d’Objets indirectes (COI) means Indirect Object Pronoun.
Many of the verbs of communication (parler, écrire, dire, répondre, demander, téléphoner ) take
an indirect object. Indirect objects can only be used for persons
I speak to Marc Becomes I speak to him. To him is the object pronoun replacing to Marc.
Je parle à Marc. Je lui parle. Here lui is the object pronoun replacing à Marc. In this case, there is
a preposition à which comes after the verb. The question asked in indirect- I speak to whom? So
it is called Indirect Object Pronoun.
Other examples: Il parle au médecin. Il lui parle.
Nous téléphons aux enfants. Nous leur téléphonons.
Ils écrivent à Rani et moi. Ils nous écrivent.
Special case: When used with Impératif (positive order), the indirect object comes after the verb.
Eg. Parlez aux enfants! Parlez-leur! (Speak to the children, Speak to them!
Donnez-moi les stylos (give me the pens) Me becomes moi after the verb in imperatif
Direct Object Pronouns Indirect Object Pronouns As you can see in
Me – me Me- to me indirect object, the
Te- you Te- to you only difference is use
Le/la/l’ - him/her/it Lui- to him/to her of lui/leur in third
Nous-us Nous- to us person instead of
Vous –you (formal/plural) Vous – to you (formal or plural) le/la/l’/les for direct
Les -them Leur- to them object pronouns.
3. Tonique Pronouns.
Tonic or Disjoint pronouns are used for emphasis and in some special situations. They always
refer to a person.
They are used mainly:
• after prepositions such as: sans (without), pour (for), dans (inside), après (after), chez (at
someone’s place), avec (with), devant (in front), de (of, from)etc…
The tonic pronouns are as follows:
Moi = me Examples:
Toi = you Tu viens chez moi ? = You’re coming to my place?
Lui = him Non, je vais chez eux! = No, I’m going to their place!
Elle = her J’achète ce livre pour vous ! = I’m buying this book for you !
Soi = one Attention ! Devant toi, il y a une voiture ! = Careful! In front of you
Nous = us there is a car!
Vous = you Il est vraiment bête, lui ! = He is really stupid!
Eux = them (masc) Il parle d’elles . He speaks of them.
Elles = them (fem.)
En- quantity pronoun
En is a pronoun that replaces de or a partitive article such as du , de l' , de la , des + a
noun; en can be translated as ‘of it'. It is also used with verbs like venir, revenir, rentrer followed
by ‘de’.
Eg. Je rentre de Paris, J’en rentre ( I return from Paris), Il vient du Portugal. Il en vient.
Note: en is placed in front of the verb.
NOTE: en is never used for persons. (to replace de + person, you have to use tonique pronoun)
Examples :
Voulez-vous du café ? = Would you like some coffee?
Oui, j'en veux ! = Yes, I would like some!
Voulez-vous du sucre dans votre café ? = Would you like sugar in your coffee?
Non merci, je n'en veux pas = No thank you, I don't want any.
When there is a number or words like beaucoup, peu, these words will be placed at the end of
the sentence.
Eg. Tu veux un stylo? Tu en veux un.
Il mange deux pommes. Il en mange deux
Tu prends beaucoup de sucre. Tu en prends beaucoup.
Special case: For imperatif, put en after the verb. Eg. Prenez du café! Prenez-en!

Y (pronounced as ee)-
Y is a pronoun that replaces a place, usually a prepositional phrase beginning
with à , chez , dans , etc. You can translate y by ‘there'.
Eg. Nous allons en France. Nous y allons. Vous allez dans le jardin. Vous y allez.
The other use of y is when a verb is followed by the preposition à before a noun (not a person
though).
Eg. Je pense à mes vacances. J’y pense.
Je participe à ce film. J’y participe
Special case. In Imperatif positif, put y after the verb. Eg. Allez au bureau! Allez-y!

ORDER OF PRONOUNS.
COI COD Y EN
Exception COD lui/leur Y EN
Eg. Il donne les gateaux à Nadine et moi. Il nous les donne. (nous is COI and les is COD)
Il donne les gateaux à Marc. Il les lui donne ( lui comes after the COD)
Il donne des gateaux à Marie Il lui en donne ( en comes after the COI)
Il y a des stylos. Il y en a (en comes after y)

Special case: For imperatif positive, the order is as follows:

COD COI Y EN
Eg. Donnez moi les livres. Donnez –les-moi (les is COD and moi is COI)
Donne moi des livres. Donne – m’en (moi changes to m’ in front of a vowel)