Subject pronouns indicate who performs the action in the sentence. They replace an already known noun or directly designate the person, animal or thing that acts. I refers to the first person singular, you to the second person singular, he and she to the third person singular. One is used for an unspecified person or for a group taken generally. We, you, they and they mark the plural. In I work, the subject is the person who works. In they arrive, the subject is a feminine group. Verbs change according to the subject, as in Conjugation: regular and irregular verbs (present).

Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
vous	parler
on	parler
je	parler
nous	parler
ils	parler
il	parler
elles	parler
elle	parler
tu	parler

Subject pronouns in the simple present

Subject	Infinitive	Conjugation
je	parler	parle
tu	parler	parles
il	parler	parle
elle	parler	parle
on	parler	parle
nous	parler	parlons
vous	parler	parlez
ils	parler	parlent
elles	parler	parlent

Scramble

The verb agrees with its subject in person and number. With I, we use the first-person singular form, with we, the first-person plural form, and so on. In we speak, the verb takes the plural ending because the subject is we. In they finish, the verb form corresponds to a masculine or mixed plural subject. The pronoun you can refer to one person, as a matter of politeness, or to several people. The verb remains in the you form in both cases. This agreement is found in every simple sentence, as in Subject-verb agreement.

Verb agreement with the subject

Idea
The verb takes the person of the subject that performs the action.
The verb takes the number of the subject, singular or plural.
Vous can refer to one person in a polite situation or several people.

One often replaces we in everyday language. The sentence keeps the same general meaning, but the verb changes to the third-person singular. We say one is leaving now instead of we are leaving now. In speech, one is very frequent for talking about a group that includes the speaker. In a conversation, one is going to the cinema is more natural than we are going to the cinema. The collective meaning remains clear thanks to the context, even if the verb form changes.

On in place of nous

Usage	Explanation
Everyday language	We often use on in place of nous in everyday conversation.
Familiar tone	We choose this more natural form in speech when the meaning remains collective.

Stressed pronouns are me, you, him, her, us, you, them and them. They appear after a preposition as in with me, for you, at their place. They are also used to emphasize the person, as in me, I am staying or her, she understands quickly. They are still used in short answers, comparisons and expressions where the pronoun carries the emphasis. After a preposition, the subject pronoun is not used. We say without him and not without he. The choice between him and her, them and them depends on the gender and number of the group in question.

Stressed pronouns after a preposition

Usage	Explanation
After a preposition	We use stressed pronouns after a preposition such as avec or pour.
For emphasis	We use the stressed pronoun to highlight the idea.

Direct object pronouns replace an object without a preposition. They take the place of the group of words that answers the question what or who, when there is no to or another preposition. The forms are me, you, him, her, us, you and them. In I see Marie, Marie is the direct object. We can say I see her. In we invite the neighbors, we replace the neighbors with them and the sentence becomes we invite them. The pronoun takes the gender and number of the noun it replaces. For conjugated forms with a direct pronoun, the structure often follows the one described in Direct and indirect object pronouns.

Direct object pronouns without a preposition

Idea
A direct object pronoun replaces an object without a preposition.
The forms me and te become m and t before a vowel.
Le and la become l before a vowel.

Indirect object pronouns replace an object introduced by to. The forms are me, you, him, us, you and them. In I speak to Paul, to Paul becomes him in I speak to him. In they call their parents, we say they call them. The indirect pronoun does not reflect the gender of the replaced noun in the form him or them, but it retains number in the distinction between singular and plural. The verb remains constructed with the indirect object, as in to answer someone, to write to a friend or to think about one's friends. Usage follows the same placement principles as other pronominal objects.

Indirect object pronouns with à

Idea
An indirect object pronoun replaces an object introduced by à.
Me and te become m and t before a vowel.

In an affirmative sentence with a conjugated verb, object pronouns are placed before the verb. We say I watch him, we write to him, they talk about it. When there are several pronouns, the order remains fixed. The indirect object pronoun comes before the direct object pronoun, as in I give it to him. With the affirmative imperative, the position changes. We say give it to him, speak to him, show them. The pronouns are then after the verb and connected by a hyphen. This position is also found in the usage presented in Imperative and pronoun placement.

Position of object pronouns

Idea
In an ordinary affirmative sentence, the pronoun is placed before the conjugated verb.
In the affirmative imperative, the pronoun is placed after the verb.
With several pronouns, the order follows the usual structure of French.

Y often replaces a group introduced by to when it is not a person. In I am going to Paris, we can say I am going there. En often replaces a group introduced by of or a quantity. In he talks about his trip, we say he talks about it. In we have three brothers, we can answer we have three. These two pronouns make the sentence lighter and avoid repeating long groups. Y and en are placed before the conjugated verb, like other object pronouns, except in the affirmative imperative where they follow the verb.

Y and en to streamline the sentence

Usage	Explanation
Replacement of a place	We use y to replace a place or an idea introduced by a preposition.
Replacement of a quantity	We use en to replace a group with a quantity or de.