Indirect object pronouns in French are used to replace a noun preceded by “à,” indicating to whom or for whom an action is done. This guide covers their forms, placement, and usage.
In French, indirect object pronouns replace a noun that is the recipient of an action introduced by the preposition à (to). They answer the questions “to whom?” or “for whom?” something is done.
French Indirect Object Pronouns
| Singular | Plural |
|---|---|
| me (m’) – to me | nous – to us |
| te (t’) – to you (singular, informal) | vous – to you (singular formal/plural) |
| lui – to him/her | leur – to them |
Note: The pronouns me, te, se, nous, and vous are abbreviated to m’, t’, and s’ before a vowel or mute h.
Which indirect object pronouns are abbreviated before a vowel or mute 'h' in French?
me (m’), te (t’), se (s’)
The pronouns 'me', 'te', and 'se' are abbreviated to 'm’', 't’', and 's’' before a vowel or mute h. Pronouns like 'lui', 'leur', and 'nous' are not abbreviated.
Placement in Simple Tenses
In simple tenses (present, imparfait, future, conditional), the indirect object pronoun is placed before the conjugated verb.
| French Pronoun | Example (French) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|
| me | Elle me parle. | She talks to me. |
| te | Je te téléphone. | I’m calling you. |
| lui | Nous lui écrivons. | We write to her/him. |
| nous | Il nous explique. | He explains to us. |
| vous | Je vous réponds. | I answer you. |
| leur | Tu leur demandes. | You ask them. |
Where is the French indirect object pronoun placed in simple tenses (present, imparfait, future, conditional)?
Before the conjugated verb
In French simple tenses, the indirect object pronoun is placed before the conjugated verb (e.g., 'Elle me parle'). It does not come after the verb or before an auxiliary in these tenses.
Placement in Compound Tenses
In compound tenses (passé composé, plus-que-parfait, etc.), the indirect object pronoun goes before the auxiliary verb.
| French Pronoun | Example (French) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|
| me | Elle m’a parlé. | She spoke to me. |
| te | Je t’ai téléphoné. | I called you. |
| lui | Nous lui avons écrit. | We wrote to her/him. |
| nous | Il nous a expliqué. | He explained to us. |
| vous | Je vous ai répondu. | I answered you. |
| leur | Tu leur as demandé. | You asked them. |
Note: Unlike direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns do not cause past participle agreement.
Placement with Infinitives
When the verb is in the infinitive form, the indirect object pronoun is placed before the infinitive.
| French Pronoun | Example (French) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|
| me | Il va me téléphoner. | He is going to call me. |
| te | Je vais te répondre. | I’m going to answer you. |
| lui | Elle va lui écrire. | She is going to write to her/him. |
| nous | Nous allons nous expliquer. | We are going to explain to ourselves. |
| vous | Je vais vous parler. | I’m going to talk to you. |
| leur | Ils vont leur demander. | They are going to ask them. |
Placement with Imperatives
- Affirmative commands: The indirect object pronoun follows the verb and is connected by a hyphen.
- Negative commands: The pronoun precedes the verb (like in simple tenses) and is not hyphenated.
| Command Type | French Example | English Example |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative | Parle-lui ! | Talk to her/him! |
| Negative | Ne lui parle pas ! | Don’t talk to her/him! |
| Affirmative | Téléphone-leur ! | Call them! |
| Negative | Ne leur téléphone pas ! | Don’t call them! |
| Affirmative | Donne-moi le livre. | Give me the book. |
| Negative | Ne me donne pas le livre. | Don’t give me the book. |
Note: In affirmative imperatives, me becomes m’ and te becomes t’ before a vowel or h.
Common Verbs That Use Indirect Object Pronouns
Many French verbs are followed by à and require indirect object pronouns. Here are some of the most common:
| Verb (French) | Meaning (English) | Example (French) | Example (English) |
|---|---|---|---|
| parler à | talk to | Je lui parle. | I talk to her/him. |
| téléphoner à | call | Je leur téléphone. | I’m calling them. |
| écrire à | write to | Nous leur écrivons. | We write to them. |
| demander à | ask | Je lui demande. | I ask her/him. |
| répondre à | answer | Il nous répond. | He answers us. |
| offrir à | give (offer) | Je lui offre un cadeau. | I’m giving her/him a gift. |
| plaire à | please | Ce livre lui plaît. | This book pleases her/him. |
| obéir à | obey | Les enfants lui obéissent. | The children obey her/him. |
| ressembler à | resemble | Il me ressemble. | He looks like me. |
| penser à | think of | Je pense à eux. | I think of them. |
Pronouns vs. Nouns
When the indirect object noun is already mentioned, the pronoun is used to avoid repetition:
- Without pronoun: Je parle à Marie. (I talk to Marie.)
- With pronoun: Je lui parle. (I talk to her.)
Summary
- Indirect object pronouns replace nouns introduced by à (to/for).
- They come before the verb in simple and compound tenses.
- They go before the infinitive when there is one.
- With affirmative commands, they follow the verb and are hyphenated.
- With negative commands, they precede the verb.
- Common verbs that use à require indirect object pronouns (parler à, téléphoner à, écrire à, demander à, répondre à, offrir à, etc.).
- Indirect object pronouns do not cause past participle agreement.
Understanding indirect object pronouns is key to expressing who is receiving or benefiting from an action — a fundamental part of mastering French sentence structure.
Flashcards (1 of 34)
- Example (English): She talks to me.
Last updated: Thu Jun 12, 2025
