Understanding French Pronouns

Transcription

1 Types of French pronouns Understanding French Pronouns This lesson focuses on the following types of French pronouns: Reflexive pronouns ME - TE - SE - NOUS - VOUS Direct object pronouns Indirect object pronouns French adverbial pronouns ME - TE - NOUS - VOUS - LE - LA - LES ME - TE - NOUS - VOUS - LUI - LEUR Y - EN One of the tricky things about French pronouns is that ME - TE - NOUS - VOUS can all be reflexive, direct or indirect object pronouns and how to identify whether they are direct or indirect. How to know which pronoun to use Reflexive pronouns Reflexive pronouns are used when a person is doing something to himself. They must agree with the subject of the sentence. In other words, reflexive pronouns must agree with the person who is doing the action to himself. ME - TE - SE - NOUS - VOUS - SE Je ME couche. Tu TE couches. Il SE couche - Elle SE couche - On SE couche. Nous NOUS couchons. Vous VOUS couchez. Ils SE couchent - Elles se couchent.

2 Direct object pronouns Direct object pronouns answer the questions: WHO or WHAT QUI ou QUOI ME - TE - NOUS - VOUS LE - LA - LES I m watching TV. WHAT am I watching? TV = DIRECT OBJECT I m watching it. Je regarde la télévision. QU est-ce que je regarde? LA TÉLÉVISION = OBJET DIRECT (COD) Je la regarde. I see you. WHO do I see? YOU = DIRECT OBJECT I see you. Je te vois (toi). QUI est-ce que je vois? TOI (changes to TE) = OBJET DIRECT (COD) Je te vois. Indirect object pronouns Indirect objects answer the questions: TO WHOM or FOR WHOM À QUI ou POUR QUI ME - TE - NOUS - VOUS LUI - LEUR À or POUR + person / animal = LUI À or POUR + people / animals = LEUR I m speaking to my mother. TO WHOM am I speaking? TO MY MOTHER = INDIRECT OBJECT I m speaking to her.

3 Je parle à ma mère. À QUI est-ce que je parle? À MA MÈRE = OBJET INDIRECT (COI) Je lui parle. I answer my parents. TO WHOM am I responding? TO MY PARENTS = INDIRECT OBJECT I answer them. Je réponds à mes parents. À QUI est-ce que je réponds? À MES PARENTS = OBJET INDIRECT (COI) Je leur réponds. Adverbial Pronoun Y The pronoun Y often means THERE. Be careful though because sometimes this pronoun can mean IT. We don t have a pronoun that corresponds to Y in English. When should you use the pronoun Y? Replaces any preposition (except DE or any form of it) + a PLACE or THING Y never replaces À or POUR + a person or animal (they are indirect objects) I m going to school. Je vais à l école. À + PLACE = Y J y vais. I m going (there). I m going to Daniel s house. Je vais chez Daniel. CHEZ + PERSON = Y J y vais. I m going (there). I am in front of the post office. Je suis devant la poste. DEVANT + PLACE = Y J y suis. I am there.

4 I answer the phone. Je réponds au téléphone. À + THING = Y J y réponds. I answer it. I m participating in a conference. Je participe à une conférence. À + THING = Y J y participe. I participate in it. Adverbial Pronoun EN The pronoun EN often means SOME, ANY or ONE in English. Many times we don t need to say SOME or OF THEM in English, but you have to in French. When should you use the pronoun EN? DE, DES, DU, DE LA + noun (person, place, thing) Quantities + nouns (numbers and amounts) Expressions of quantity (beaucoup de, etc) I wear glasses. Je porte des lunettes. DES + NOUN = EN J en porte. I have a sister. J ai une soeur. UNE (NUMBER) + NOUN = EN J en ai une. I eat a lot of vegetables. Je mange beaucoup de légumes. EXPRESSION OF QUANTITY + NOUN = EN J en mange beaucoup.

5 Placement of pronouns in the present, past and future tenses All pronouns follow the same placement rules when there is only one pronoun in a sentence. Use the following rule for ALL French pronouns. Present tense In the present tense always place the pronoun right before the conjugated verb. Je ME couche. Je LA regarde. Je LUI parle. J Y vais. J EN ai une. Passé composé In the passé composé place the pronoun before the helping verb (which is the conjugated verb in the sentence). Je ME suis couché(e). Je L ai regardé(e). Je LUI ai parlé. J Y suis allé(e). J EN ai eu une. *remember to make agreement with direct object pronouns and past participles! Futur proche In the near future or anytime you have an infinitive following the conjugated verb you should put the pronoun before the infinitive. Je vais ME coucher. Je vais LE / LA / LES regarder. Je vais LUI parler. Je vais Y aller. Je vais EN avoir une.

6 Placement of pronouns with negation Never separate the pronoun from the verb it is directly linked to. Present tense with negation Passé composé with negation Futur proche with negation In the present tense negation goes around the pronoun and the conjugated verb. Je ne ME couche pas. Je ne LA regarde pas. Je ne LUI parle pas. Je n Y vais pas. Je n EN ai pas une. In the passé composé negation goes around the pronoun and the helping verb. Je ne ME suis pas couché(e). Je ne L ai pas regardé(e). Je ne LUI ai pas parlé. Je n Y suis pas allé(e). Je n EN ai pas eu une. In the near future or anytime you have an infinitive following the conjugated verb negation goes around the conjugated verb. Je ne vais pas ME coucher. Je ne vais pas LE / LA / LES regarder. Je ne vais pas LUI parler. Je ne vais pas Y aller. Je ne vais pas EN avoir une.

7 More than one pronoun in a sentence Follow the same rules as in the previous examples while following the strict order of pronouns in the chart below. reflexives direct objects indirect objects ME TE direct objects indirect objects adverbial pronoun LE adverbial pronoun NOUS LA LUI VOUS LES LEUR Y EN French pronouns in negative commands Negative commands are simple. Just follow the regular order of pronouns in the chart above and follow the usual rule for negation. Ne le lui donne pas. Ne nous en parlez pas. Ne leur en parlons pas. Don t give it to him / her. Don t talk to us about it. Let s not talk to them about it.

8 French pronouns in affirmative commands Affirmative commands are a little different. There is a different order to follow and as you see in the examples below you must put the pronouns after the verb rather than in front as we usually do. You must also remember to attach the pronouns to each other and to the verb they follow. See the affirmative commands pronoun order chart below the examples. Donne-le-lui. Parlez-nous-en. Parlons-leur-en. Give it to him / her. Talk to us about it. Let s talk to them about it. Affirmative commands pronoun chart le moi nous la toi vous les lui leur y en Copyright Love Learning Languages