A pronoun is simply a word that substitutes for a noun. The French object pronouns are called so because they are used instead of the object in a sentence. There are two types of object pronouns in French, depending on which object the pronoun replaces—direct object pronouns and indirect object pronouns. Let's take a look at them in more detail.
1. Direct object pronouns
Direct object pronouns are used in place of a person, place, thing or idea which the subject is acting upon. In other words, these pronouns receive the action of the verb. Let's look at the examples:
- (Elodie) I like Elodie. --> I like her.
- (A book) He is reading a book. --> He is reading it.
- (Pictures) The artist paints pictures. --> The artist paints them.
Here's the list of direct object pronouns in French:
me (m') — me
te (t') — you
le (l') — him, it
la (l') — her, it
nous — us
vous — you
les — them
2. Indirect object pronouns
Indirect object pronouns refer to a person towards whom the action of the verb is being performed. This includes the people to whom (for whom) the subject of the sentence is doing something. Take a look at the examples:
- He talks to the students. --> He talks to them.
- I bought a gift for Amélie. --> I bought a gift for her.
- Please, give it to John. --> Please, give it to him.
Here's the list of indirect object pronouns in French:
me (m') — me
te (t') — you
lui — him, her
nous — us
vous — you
leur — them
