Pronom personnel – Master Personal Pronouns in French

Key takeaways

Personal pronouns (pronoms personnels) replace nouns to avoid repetition.
They can be subject pronouns (je, tu, il/elle/on, nous, vous, ils/elles) or object pronouns (me, te, le/la, nous, vous, les).
Placement of pronouns depends on whether they are subject, direct object, or indirect object.
Using pronouns correctly helps sentences flow naturally in French.

What Are Personal Pronouns in French?

Personal pronouns are words that replace nouns referring to people or things already mentioned. Instead of repeating the noun, we use a pronoun.

Example:

Marie parle à Paul. Elle lui parle. → Marie speaks to Paul. She speaks to him.

Subject Pronouns in French

These are the basic building blocks, replacing the subject of the verb.

Person	Singular	Plural	Example
1st	je (I)	nous (we)	Je parle français. → I speak French.
2nd	tu (you, informal)	vous (you, formal/plural)	Tu étudies l’anglais. → You study English.
3rd	il/elle/on (he/she/one)	ils/elles (they m./f.)	Elle danse bien. → She dances well.

Direct Object Pronouns

Used when the verb acts directly on the object.

Person	Singular	Plural	Example
1st	me (me)	nous (us)	Il me voit. → He sees me.
2nd	te (you)	vous (you)	Je t’entends. → I hear you.
3rd	le/la (him/her/it)	les (them)	Je la connais. → I know her.

Indirect Object Pronouns

Used with verbs that take “à + person.”

Person	Singular	Plural	Example
1st	me (to me)	nous (to us)	Elle m’écrit. → She writes to me.
2nd	te (to you)	vous (to you)	Je te parle. → I speak to you.
3rd	lui (to him/her)	leur (to them)	Il lui téléphone. → He calls her.

Placement of Object Pronouns

Pronouns usually come before the verb:

Je le vois. → I see him.
Nous leur parlons. → We speak to them.

In compound tenses, they go before the auxiliary:

Je l’ai vu. → I saw him.

In the imperative, pronouns may follow the verb with a hyphen (affirmative):

Donne-le-moi ! → Give it to me!

Stress (Disjunctive) Pronouns

These are used for emphasis, after prepositions, or alone.

Person	Pronoun	Example
1st	moi	C’est pour moi. → It’s for me.
2nd	toi	Avec toi. → With you.
3rd	lui/elle/soi	Sans lui. → Without him.
1st plural	nous	Chez nous. → At our place.
2nd plural	vous	Sans vous. → Without you.
3rd plural	eux/elles	Avec elles. → With them (f.).

Personal Pronouns in Action

Il m’aime. → He loves me.
Nous leur écrivons. → We write to them.
C’est moi. → It’s me.
Elle parle avec lui. → She speaks with him.

Exercises: Practice French Personal Pronouns

1. Replace the object with a pronoun

Je vois Marie. → ________
Tu appelles Paul. → ________

2. Translate into French

He loves me.
We see them.
I speak to her.

3. Correct the mistakes

❌ Je vois il.
❌ Tu parle à elle.

Answers

Je la vois. | Tu l’appelles.
Il m’aime. | Nous les voyons. | Je lui parle.
Je le vois. | Tu parles à elle → Tu lui parles.

Tips for Mastering Personal Pronouns

Memorize subject pronouns first — they’re the foundation.
Practice replacing nouns with direct and indirect objects.
Pay attention to word order; pronouns almost always precede the verb.
Use stress pronouns for emphasis (C’est moi !).

For broader context, check our French verb tenses overview. For study strategies, read learning French effectively. And if you’re planning your study timeline, explore how long it may take to learn French fluently.

Summary

French personal pronouns (pronoms personnels) are essential for avoiding repetition and speaking naturally. They include subject pronouns (je, tu, il/elle), direct and indirect objects (me, te, lui, leur), and stress pronouns (moi, toi, lui).

By studying both subject and complement pronouns, as explained in Lawless French’s Pronoms personnels and ILA’s guide to The Personal Pronoun Complements, you’ll gain confidence in real conversations. With practice, sentences like je l’aime, tu me parles, c’est moi will come naturally as you learn French with Promova.