Pronouns – A Level French Edexcel Revision

Pronouns (pronoms) are words which can be used to replace nouns to avoid repetition. They are key to understanding and speaking French fluently.
French pronouns give information about their antecedents (the noun they replace) and can tell us about gender, number, and grammatical function.

Subject pronouns (pronoms sujets) replace the subject of the sentence. They are: je (I), tu (you singular/informal), il (he/it) elle (she/it), nous (we), vous (you plural/formal), ils (they masculine/mixed gender), elles (they feminine).
In French, it’s important to note that every verb must have a subject, even if the verb is an imperative (command) or if the subject would not be necessary in English.

Direct object pronouns (pronoms objets directs) replace the direct object (the object directly receiving the action of the verb). They include: me (me), te (you), le (him/it), la (her/it), nous (us), vous (you), les (them).
Similarly, indirect object pronouns (pronoms objets indirects) replace indirect objects (those receiving the action indirectly). They include: me (to me), te (to you), lui (to him/her/it), nous (to us), vous (to you), leur (to them).

Relative pronouns (pronoms relatifs) connect a dependent clause to a main clause, relating to an element in that main clause. They include qui (who, which, that), que (whom, which, that), où (where, when), and dont (of/from whom, of/from which, whose).
Usage rules are specific: use qui when the pronoun acts as the subject, que when it acts as the object, où for places and times, and dont whenever “of which”, “from which”, or “whose” is implied.

Reflexive pronouns (pronoms reflechis) are used with reflexive verbs, in which the action is performed by the subject on itself. They include: me (myself), te (yourself, sing.), se (himself/herself/itself), nous (ourselves), vous (yourself, pl./yourselves), se (themselves).
Reflexive pronouns always agree with the subject of the verb and immediately precede the verb (except in imperative commands).

Possessive pronouns (pronoms possessifs) replace a noun and indicate possession. They include le mien (mine), le tien (yours), etc.
Remember that these pronouns agree with the gender and number of the object, not the possessor.

Demonstrative pronouns (pronoms démonstratifs) replace a specific noun that has been previously mentioned, distinguishing it from others. They are celui (that one, this one, the one), celle (that one, this one, the one), ceux (those ones, these ones, the ones), celles (those ones, these ones, the ones).
Used with suffixes -ci (this one) or -là (that one) to distinguish between two similar items.

Emphasising Pronouns (pronoms toniques) are used to emphasise a subject pronoun. They include: moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles.
They are placed immediately after the verb with which they are associated.

Constant practice and familiarity with these pronouns and their usage are crucial for improving your French grammar and communication skills.