Object pronouns let you stop repeating nouns — « Je vois Marie » becomes « Je la vois ». The whole skill is matching the right pronoun to the grammar: direct object, indirect object, or the special pronouns y and en — and knowing where to place them.
1 · Direct (COD) vs indirect (COI)
A direct object follows the verb with no preposition (le, la, les). An indirect object is « à + a person » (lui, leur).
| Person | Direct (COD) | Indirect (à + person) |
|---|---|---|
| me / te | me (m'), te (t') | me (m'), te (t') |
| 3rd singular | le / la (l') | lui |
| nous / vous | nous, vous | nous, vous |
| 3rd plural | les | leur |
- Je vois Marie → Je la vois.I see Marie → I see her. (direct)
- Je parle à Marie → Je lui parle.I speak to Marie → I speak to her. (indirect)
- Je téléphone à mes parents → Je leur téléphone.I call my parents → I call them.
2 · The pronoun « y »
« y » replaces « à + a thing » or a place. (For « à + a person », use lui / leur.)
- Je vais à Paris → J'y vais.I'm going to Paris → I'm going there.
- Je pense à mon examen → J'y pense.I think about my exam → I think about it.
- Je réponds à la question → J'y réponds.I answer the question → I answer it.
3 · The pronoun « en »
« en » replaces « de + a thing », a partitive, or a quantity.
- Je mange du pain → J'en mange.I eat bread → I eat some.
- J'ai trois livres → J'en ai trois.I have three books → I have three (of them).
- Je viens de Lyon → J'en viens.I come from Lyon → I come from there.
- Je parle de mon travail → J'en parle.I talk about my work → I talk about it.
4 · Where the pronoun goes
Normally before the conjugated verb; before an infinitive; before the auxiliary in the passé composé — where the participle then agrees with a preceding direct object.
| Case | Example |
|---|---|
| Present | Je le vois. |
| Infinitive | Je vais le voir. |
| Passé composé | Je l'ai vu. / Je les ai vus. (agreement) |
| Negative | Je ne le vois pas. |
5 · Affirmative imperative
In a positive command, the pronoun comes AFTER the verb with a hyphen, and me / te become moi / toi.
- Regarde-le !Look at it!
- Vas-y !Go (there)! (the -s returns before y)
- Donne-moi le livre.Give me the book. (me → moi)
6 · Combining two pronouns
When two pronouns appear before the verb, their order is fixed.
- Je le lui donne.I give it to him/her.
- Il y en a.There is / are some.
Common mistakes
« à + person » becomes the indirect pronoun lui, placed before the verb.
A partitive / « de » uses en, not y.
With a preceding direct object, the past participle agrees → mangés.
In the affirmative imperative, me becomes moi.