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French

Indirect Object Pronouns

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Indirection in grammar is when the object of the verb is not the direct recipient of the action, but is involved in some indirect way, often indicated by the preposition à in French (meaning "to" or "for").

Examples of Indirect Objects in French

Here’s an example sentence:
  • Je parle à Marie.* (I speak to Marie.)
The indirect object is à Marie — Marie is not directly receiving the action of speaking, but the action is directed toward her.
In French, indirect object pronouns replace these à + noun phrases.

Indirect Object Pronouns Table

French Indirect Object PronounEnglish MeaningExample (French)Example (English)
me (m’)to meIl me donne un cadeau.*He gives me a gift.
te (t’)to you (singular, informal)Je te parle.*I speak to you.
luito him / to herNous lui écrivons.*We write to him/her.
nousto usElle nous téléphone.*She calls us.
vousto you (plural/formal)Je vous envoie une lettre.*I send you a letter.
leurto themIls leur racontent une histoire.*They tell them a story.

Notes on Usage

  • Lui and leur are used for both masculine and feminine indirect objects.
  • The pronouns me, te, se, nous, vous become m’, t’, s’, n’, v’ before a vowel or mute h.
  • Indirect object pronouns always come before the verb in simple tenses.

Placement in Sentences

Simple Tenses (Present, Passé Composé, etc.)

  • Pronoun comes before the conjugated verb.
  • In compound tenses, it comes before the auxiliary verb.
Examples:
  • Je lui parle.* (I speak to him/her.)
  • Nous leur avons écrit.* (We wrote to them.)

Infinitive Constructions

  • Pronoun comes before the infinitive.
Examples:
  • Je vais lui téléphoner.* (I’m going to call her/him.)
  • Ils vont nous demander.* (They are going to ask us.)

Imperative (Commands)

  • Use indirect object pronouns after the verb, connected by a hyphen.
  • me becomes m’ and te becomes t’.
  • The pronoun se is not used in the imperative.
Examples:
  • Parle-lui !* (Speak to him/her!)
  • Donnez-leur le message.* (Give them the message.)
  • Écris-moi !* (Write to me!)

Negative Imperative

  • Place ne ... pas around the verb + pronoun.
Example:
  • Ne lui parle pas !* (Don’t speak to him/her!)

How is the negative imperative formed with indirect object pronouns?


The pronoun stays before the verb, and ne ... pas surrounds them.

In negative imperatives, the indirect object pronoun remains before the verb, and the entire phrase is enclosed in ne ... pas.

Special Cases

Verbs That Always Use Indirect Objects

Some verbs require indirect objects and cannot take direct objects:
  • parler à (to speak to)
  • téléphoner à (to call)
  • donner à (to give to)
  • répondre à (to answer)
  • écrire à (to write to)
  • demander à (to ask)
Use indirect object pronouns to replace the à + person.
Examples:
  • Je parle à Marc. → Je lui parle.*
  • Ils donnent un cadeau à Sophie. → Ils lui donnent un cadeau.*

Verbs with Multiple Meanings

Some verbs change meaning depending on whether they have a direct or indirect object:
  • penser à quelqu’un (to think about someone)
  • sourire à quelqu’un (to smile at someone)
  • ressembler à quelqu’un (to resemble someone)
Use indirect object pronouns for the à + personne.
Examples:
  • Je pense à toi. → Je te pense.* (Note: "penser à" is rarely replaced with a pronoun in practice; native speakers usually retain the full phrase.)
  • Elle sourit à son frère. → Elle lui sourit.*

With Prepositions

Indirect object pronouns only replace à + noun when referring to people (or personified animals). They do not replace nouns introduced by other prepositions.
  • Je parle à mon ami. → Je lui parle.* (correct)
  • Je parle de mon ami. → Je parle de mon ami.* (no pronoun change)

Summary

  • Indirect object pronouns replace à + noun phrases (usually people).
  • They agree in number and gender only for lui / leur (singular/plural), but not in form.
  • Pronouns are placed before the verb (except in affirmative imperatives).
  • Common verbs that take indirect objects include parler à, donner à, répondre à, écrire à, téléphoner à.
Mastering indirect object pronouns allows you to make your French more natural and concise!

Which of the following rules is true about indirect object pronouns in French?


They replace à + noun (usually a person) and come before the verb (except in affirmative imperatives).

Indirect object pronouns replace à + noun (usually people) and are placed before the verb, except in affirmative commands.

Flashcards (1 of 6)

    • English Meaning: to me
    • Example (English): He gives me a gift.

    Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025

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