Indirect Object Pronouns For Intermediate learners
What Are Indirect Object Pronouns in French? (Les pronoms complèments d'objet indirect-COI)
An indirect object noun, which is typically introduced by the preposition à and provides an answer to the question "to whom" or "for whom," is replaced by an indirect object pronoun (pronom complèment d'objet indirect-COI) following the verb.
They frequently occur with verbs of communication, giving, and showing and are incredibly common in French.
What Is an Indirect Object? (Complèment d'objet indirect-COI)
An indirect object is a person (or sometimes a thing) that receives the result of the action indirectly, and it is normally introduced by à.
Je parle à Marie.
I talk to Marie.
Here, à Marie is the indirect object.
Il donne un cadeau à son frère.
He gives a gift to his brother.
Here, à son frère is the indirect object.
List of French Indirect Object Pronouns
Indirect object pronouns replace à + a person and have a fixed form for each grammatical person.
Person / Number | French Pronoun | English Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
1st person singular | me | to me |
2nd person singular | te | to you (informal) |
3rd person singular | lui | to him / to her |
1st person plural | nous | to us |
2nd person plural | vous | to you (formal or plural) |
3rd person plural | leur | to them |
Warning!
Lui is gender-neutral and refers to both masculine and feminine singular.
Je parle à Paul. → Je lui parle.
Je parle à Marie. → Je lui parle.
Common Verbs That Take an Indirect Object
Many verbs naturally take à + person. Here are some common examples:
parler à – to talk to
répondre à – to answer
téléphoner à – to call
écrire à – to write to
demander à – to ask
montrer à – to show
expliquer à – to explain to
promettre à – to promise
recommander à – to recommend
apprendre à – to teach
donner à – to give
envoyer à – to send
Indirect Object Pronouns Replace People, Not Things
Indirect object pronouns lui / leur only replace à + person. For example:
Il répond à Marie. → Il lui répond.
He answers Marie. → He answers her.
When the complement is introduced by à + thing, French uses y, not lui / leur. For example:
Il répond à la question. → Il y répond.
He answers the question. → He answers it.
When the complement is introduced by de + thing, French uses en, not lui / leur. For example:
Il parle de son travail. → Il en parle.
He talks about his work. → He talks about it.
Placement of Indirect Object Pronouns
a) In Affirmative Sentences
Indirect object pronouns are normally placed before the conjugated verb.
Je lui parle souvent.
I often talk to him / her.
In compound tenses, the pronoun comes before the auxiliary.
Nous leur avons écrit.
We wrote to them.
b) Indirect Object Pronouns with Two Verbs
When a conjugated verb is followed by an infinitive, the pronoun is placed before the infinitive it logically relates to.
Je promets à Paul de téléphoner. → Je lui promets de téléphoner.
I promise Paul that I will call him. → I promise him that I will call.
The indirect object belongs to promettre.
Je promets de téléphoner à Paul. → Je promets de lui téléphoner.
I promise to call Paul. → I promise to call him.
The indirect object belongs to téléphoner.
c) In Negative Sentences
In negative sentences, the pronoun keeps its position before the verb, and the negation surrounds the conjugated verb.
Je ne te parle pas maintenant.
I am not talking to you right now.
Elle ne leur a pas répondu.
She did not reply to them.
d) In Questions
Pronouns do not move in questions.
Intonation questions
Tu lui parles ?
Are you talking to him / her?
Est-ce que questions
Est-ce que tu nous écris ?
Are you writing to us?
Inversion (formal)
Lui parles-tu souvent ?
Do you often talk to him / her?
e) In the Imperative
Affirmative commands: The pronoun comes after the verb and is linked with a hyphen.
Parle-moi !
Talk to me!
Explique-nous la situation !
Explain the situation to us!
Negative commands: The pronoun returns before the verb.
Ne me parle pas !
Don't talk to me!
No Agreement in the Passé Composé
Indirect object pronouns never cause agreement of the past participle.
Je leur ai parlé.
I talked to them.
Elle lui a écrit.
She wrote to him / her.
Tip!
Certain verbs (e.g., penser à, s'habituer à, rêver à) do not use lui / leur even when the complement is a person.
Instead, French uses a tonic (stressed) pronoun:
Je pense à Marie. → Je pense à elle.
I'm thinking about Marie. → I'm thinking about her.
Il s'habitue à ses collègues. → Il s'habitue à eux.
He's getting used to his colleagues. → He's getting used to them.
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