French Pronouns

What's a Pronoun?

Un pronom(a pronoun) is a word that is generally used in place of a noun, a noun phrase, or a proper noun to avoid repeating the name of a person or thing over and over, allowing for a conversation or written text to flow better.

A pronoun will usually refer to someone or something that has already been mentioned or to someone or something that's visible or known. Pronouns are often used in the context of a conversation or in the body of a written text.

How Are Pronouns Used in French?

Example #1

In conversation, if you're talking about someone named Sophie(Sophie), instead of repeating her name each time you mention her, you can use the subject pronoun elle(she), the direct object pronoun la(her), or the indirect object pronoun lui(her; to her), as seen in this mini-dialogue.

Imagine having this conversation without pronouns, using the name Sophie every time a pronoun is used above. It would sound weird, right? Using pronouns allows your conversation to flow and sound much more natural, both in French and in English.

Example #2

Following is an email where the writer is talking about un cadeau(a gift) given to her. Instead of repeating the word cadeau over and over, she uses the subject pronoun il(it), the direct object pronoun le(it), the demonstrative pronoun celui-ci(this one), and the possessive pronoun le mien(mine). Take a look!

Thank-You Letter in French

English Translation of French Thank-You Letter

Again, if the writer were to repeat the word cadeau (gift) every time a pronoun was used in these lines, the text would be very awkward! Using pronouns makes the sentences flow better and sound more natural.

Types of Pronouns in French

There are many different types of pronouns in French! Each corresponds to a different grammatical usage of the noun being replaced. In this article, we'll give you an overview of subject pronouns, object pronouns, disjunctive pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, interrogative pronouns, and possessive pronouns.

Here's a table showing all the different types of pronouns we'll be talking about. Note that sometimes a pronoun doesn't just replace a noun, it may also replace other words along with the noun.

Since pronouns are often used in context, here's the context for the example sentences below: Your friend Emma is traveling to Provence to hunt for the prized wild mushrooms called truffles!

Now, let's take a closer look at each type of pronoun from the list above!

What's a Subject Pronoun in French?

Un pronom personnel sujet(a subject pronoun) is used in place of a noun that is the subject of a verb—that is, the person or thing doing the action of the verb. French subject pronouns have both person and number, just like in English. Some third-person subject pronouns also have gender. Here is a table of the subject pronouns used in French, followed by a couple of examples of how they are used in sentences!

What's a Disjunctive Pronoun in French?

Les pronoms disjoints(disjunctive pronouns) are most often used for emphasis or to replace a noun after a preposition or conjunction. When they are used for emphasis, they are also called emphatic pronouns or stressed pronouns in English. Here's a table of French disjunctive pronouns and some examples to show you what we mean!

What's an Object Pronoun in French?

Les pronoms objets(object pronouns) are used to replace nouns that are the object of a verb in a sentence. That is, someone or something the action of the verb is directed toward. There are several types of object pronouns used in French, including direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns, and the adverbial pronouns y(there) and en(some). They're all used to avoid repetition of a noun, just like other pronouns. The type of object pronoun needed depends on how the noun is connected to the verb in question. Here's a quick look at each type!

What Are the Direct Object Pronouns in French?

Use a pronom d'objet direct(direct object pronoun) to replace a noun that directly receives the action of a verb. For example, when you say Je vois la voiture(I see the car), la voiture (the car) is the direct object. It directly receives the action of the verb voir(to see). While direct objects often come after a verb in French, direct object pronouns are usually placed before the verb. Check out the table and examples below to see how direct object pronouns are used in French!

What Are the Indirect Object Pronouns in French?

Les pronoms d'objet indirect(indirect object pronouns) replace a noun that is the object of a preposition. Most often, an indirect object pronoun replaces the preposition à(to) followed by a person or people. For example, in the sentence Je parle à Monique.(I'm talking to Monique.), à Monique (to Monique) is the indirect object of the verb parler(to talk). Like direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns are generally placed before the verb in French, and those that end in -e contract before a vowel or silent h. Here's a look at French indirect object pronouns and a couple of examples showing how they work!

How Do I Use the Pronouns Y and En in French?

There are two other object pronouns in French: yand en. These are sometimes called pronoms adverbiaux(adverbial pronouns). As a general rule of thumb, y most often replaces locations, and en is most often used with quantified nouns. Keep in mind that these pronouns do have some other uses, so multiple translations of each pronoun are possible. Like other object pronouns, y and en usually come before the verb in a sentence in French. Check out the table and examples below!

What's a Demonstrative Pronoun in French?

In French, a pronom démonstratif(demonstrative pronoun) is used to replace a determiner and the noun it modifies. The demonstrative pronoun is used to avoid repetition of the noun and also agrees in gender and number with the noun it's replacing. Here are the main simple demonstrative pronouns, along with examples to show how they're used in French.

Main Simple Demonstrative Pronouns in French

As you might have noticed, simple demonstrative pronouns cannot stand alone. They must be used with either a relative clause (for example, celui que tu lis) or a prepositional phrase (for example, celle d'à côté).

Compound demonstrative pronouns, on the other hand, can function independently! They are formed by adding the suffixes -ci(indicating closeness to the speaker) and -là(indicating distance from the speaker) to the simple demonstrative pronouns. You'll find the main ones in the table below!

Main Compound Demonstrative Pronouns in French

What's an Interrogative Pronoun in French?

Les pronoms interrogatifs(interrogative pronouns) are used when asking questions in French. You may already know some of them! The most commonly used interrogative pronouns are qui(who), queor quoi(what), and lequel(which one). The last one, lequel, is a little different from the others, so we'll divide our explanations into two different sections below!

Using Qui, Que, and Quoi to Ask Questions in French

Qui, que, and quoi are used when the noun being referred to is unknown or unspecified. They can be used to replace a noun that is a subject, a direct object, or an object of a preposition. Check out the tables below for an overview of these interrogative pronouns and their uses, along with some example questions! We've added alternative constructions to a few of them, which are synonyms to the interrogative pronoun listed.

Asking Who or Whom Questions in French

Asking What Questions in French

Using Lequel to Ask Questions in French

Lequel(which one) is used when asking questions about something previously mentioned, visible, or known. It replaces an interrogative adjective and a noun. Interrogative adjectives agree in gender and number with the noun they modify, so they have four forms: quel, quelle, quels, and quelles(which). The interrogative pronoun lequel also has four forms. Here is a table with the four forms and examples of how they are used in French!

What's a Possessive Pronoun in French?

Un pronom possessif(a possessive pronoun) replaces a possessive adjective and the noun it modifies. There are six possessive pronouns, each corresponding to the person or thing possessing the item, also known as the possessor of the item (for example, mine, yours, his or hers, ours, etc.). Each possessive pronoun has four forms, corresponding to the gender and number of the noun being possessed. To keep things brief, we'll just give one example here to show you how the possessive pronoun mine is expressed in French.

I Kind of Understand What Pronouns Are ... Now What?

We hope this article has given you a good overview of some of the different types of pronouns used in French and that it has helped you to understand why they're used so often in conversation and writing! Once you start to use them, your French will sound much more fluid and natural. So, keep working on developing your French skills, and you'll soon be using all different types of pronouns without even thinking about it!