French grammar - Object pronouns

Object pronouns

We saw that the personal adjectives (je, tu, il etc.) refer to the a person or people who are the subject of a sentence.

When referring to a person, animal or thing that is the object of a sentence, we use a (direct) object pronoun.

The French direct object pronouns are:

• je ⇒ me: 'me'

• tu ⇒ te : 'you' (familiar)

• il & on ⇒ le : 'him' or 'it'

• elle ⇒ la : 'her' or 'it'

• nous ⇒ nous : 'us'

• vous ⇒ vous : 'you' (formal & plural)

• ils & elle ⇒ les : 'them'

Those that end in a vowel all contract with an apostrophe when followed by a word beginning with a vowel. So me ⇒ m' etc.

For inanimate things ('it'), whether we use le or la depends on the gender of said object.

The object pronoun comes immediately before the verb that acts upon it.

-- This is unlike in English where the pronoun comes after the verb.

Examples:
	Je vous aime bien. I like you (formal). aimer bien means 'to like'
	Tu m'aimes ? Do you (familiar) love me? Used in this way aimer implies 'love'
	Pouvez-vous nous voir ? Can you (formal) see us?
	Oui, je vous vois. Yes, I see you (plural).
	Où est Christine ? Qui peut la voir ? Where is Christine? Who can see her? The object pronoun la comes before the verb that acts upon it (voir) and not the auxiliary verb (pouvoir)
	Je la vois. I see her.
	Où sont les clés ? Qui les voit ? Where are the keys? Who sees them?
	Je les vois là-bas. I see them over there.
	Maman, papa, vous nous regardez ? Mom, Dad, are you (formal) watching us?
	Oui, nous vous regardons. Yes, we are watching you (plural).
	Les Français sont sympathiques. Je les aime bien. The French are friendly. I like them.
	C'est un raisin. Je peux le manger ? It's a grape. Can I eat it? The object pronoun le comes before the verb that acts upon it (manger) and not the auxiliary verb (pouvoir)
	Ce croissant - je peux le manger ? That croissant - can I eat it?
	Tu veux le manger ? Do you (familiar) want to eat it?
	Désolé, je le mange. Sorry - I am eating it.
	Qui porte la valise lourde ? Il la porte. Who is carrying the heavy suitcase? He is carrying it.
	Est-ce qu'il la porte ? Is he carrying it (female)?
	Pourquoi le portez-vous ? Why are you (formal) carrying it?
	Son numéro de téléphone - l'avez-vous ? His telephone number - do you (formal) have it? numéro de téléphone (m) means 'telephone number'
	Je l'écris dans le cahier. I write it in the notebook.
	Il l'invite à la fête. He is inviting her to the party. inviter (verb) means 'to invite'
	Ces chaussures - je les achète. These shoes - I am buying them. acheter (verb) means 'to buy'
	Je regarde ce film. Bénédicte le regarde aussi. I am watching this movie. Bénédicte is watching it too.