Songs/Chansons
    Les pronoms
        
                                              PEOPLE
     A pronoun is a word that stands for a noun.
    For example, instead of saying the woman in the red dress danced,
    one says “she danced”. It makes things simpler.  
    Here, “she” is an subject pronoun, (you can think of it as the active
    pronoun, as it is doing the action) and subject pronouns in French
    operate pretty much like in English:
       I          You     He       She      We      You       They   (all girls)
        JE        TU       IL       ELLE   NOUS   VOUS       ILS    ELLES

    Or, instead of saying:
    I saw the woman with the red dress dance,
    you can say:   I saw her dance.
    This is an object pronoun. Think of it as a passive pronoun,
    as it does not do the action but is the object of the verb.

    English Object Pronouns
    ME
    YOU
    HIM
    HER
    US
    YOU
    THEM

    It is with these object pronouns that the structure of the
       French sentence differs most from that of an English one.

    In English, an object pronoun follows the verb: The people see her.
    In French, object pronouns come before the verb:
    Les gens la voient.

    Here are some questions and answers about pronouns:
             Connaissez-vous cet homme? Je le connais
Do you know this man? I know him.

         Avez-vous vu cette actrice? Je l'ai vue.
          Have you seen this actress? I saw her.

        Notice that the pronoun is always right before the verb “avoir”
    (to have), even in the past forms. Also, the French do not answer
     "I did" or "I do". They repeat the verb with the pronoun: Je l'ai vue.

                                        Indirect pronouns
    In English, the object pronouns me, you, him, her, us, you,  them
    sometimes really mean  “to me”, “to you”, “to him”, etc.....  usually
    with verbs like “ to give”, “to say”. EX:   I gave her . In English, the
     “to” appears when there is a double pronoun:  I gave it to her

    In French, this “to..” form also appears with such verbs as
    “donner"and “dire”, and differs only in third person where
    “to him” and “to her” become “lui” (instead of le and la),  “ to them”
    becomes “leur” (instead of les). It usually replaces “à”+noun.
    Here are some examples:
    Je  lui ai dit: I told him/her.
    Vous leur offrez un verre de vin: You offer them a glass of wine.

                               Disjunctive pronouns:
    Also in English you find  ME, YOU, HIM, HER, US, YOU, THEM
    after words like “with, after, and, for," etc...EX:  For me, with them
    In French, after those words,  pronouns differ from the indirect forms
    in the following manner:             
            MOI replaces ME and TOI replaces TE
            LUI becomes ELLE  for feminine but remains LUI for masculine  
            NOUS and VOUS remain NOUS and VOUS    
            EUX replaces LEUR for masculine or mixed
            ELLES replaces LEUR for feminine
                                          
    These pronouns are disjunctive pronouns, but think of them as
    “preposition pronouns” as they mostly follow prepositions:
       EX:
      Je suis allé avec eux: I went with them
       Elle est venue chez moi: She came to my house.
       Il est plus gentil qu'elle: He is nicer than her.
  
    However, you will also use these pronouns
    -Without a verb:
        Who? Her    Qui? Elle
    -After « Etre » (to be)
        Qui est-ce? Ce sont eux
        Who is it ? It’s them.
    -For emphasis and multiple subjects:
        Me, I need glasses: Moi, j’ai besoin de lunettes.
        Elle et lui sont allés au marché: He and she went to the market.
       
NEGATIVE:
    In the negative, the pronoun is after "ne" and just before the verb:
Je ne la connais pas:   I don't know her.
Je ne lui parle pas:      I don't speak to him / her.
Je ne l'ai pas oublié:    I did not forget him.

    Here Is a summary chart :


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------








----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Exception: In the imperative, the pronoun comes after the verb, but
    only when it is not a negative sentence- This is the only time the
    pronoun comes after the verb in French. Also, ME becomes MOI and
    TE becomes TOI
    EX:        Dis-lui la réponse:  Tell him the answer.
                  Donnez-moi une plume: Give me a pen
                  Tais-toi : Shut up
    But:
                 Ne lui dis pas la réponse: Don't tell him the answer.
                 Ne me parle pas: Don't speak to me
           

    This présentation was prepared by
    David Berger.
    All rights reserved.

    All comments, suggestions and
    corrections are welcome
French object pronouns:
    ME
    TE
    LE  (L’ in front of a vowel)
    LA  (L’ in front of a vowel)
    NOUS
    VOUS
    LES
Me
Te
Le
la
nous
vous
les
les
Je
Tu
Il
Elle
Nous
Vous
Ils
Ellles
me
te
lui
lui
nous
vous
leur
leur
moi
toi
lui
elle
nous
vous
eux
elles
V
E
R
B
E
I   etc.....
Me etc..
Direct
To me etc...
Indirect.
Verb
For me etc
Disjunctive..
Pour   etc..
                   THINGS AND IDEAS
    In English, a thing is usually replaced
    by the pronoun « it », both as an active
    (subject) or passive (object) pronoun.
    EX:
    Have you seen this movie? I saw it.
    Was it serious? It was.

             IT as a subject (active).
    Because in French all objects are either
    masculine or feminine, IT as a subject will
    be IL for a masculine object  
         ELLE for a feminine object.
    EX:
    Avez-vous vu ce film? Je l’ai vu.
    Etait-il sérieux ? Non, Il était drôle

    In the plural, it’s THEY in English,
             “ILS” or “ELLES” in French:
    Ex:
    Où sont les clés ?   Elles sont sur la table.
    Where are the keys? They're on the table.

      IT as an object (passive) pronoun.
    Again in French, IT as an object pronoun
    will be LE for a masculine object
               LA for feminine objects,
               just as if they were people.
    EX:
    Connaissez-vous l’hôtel Prince ?
    Je le connais.
    Voyez-vous la mer ?
    Je la vois.

                  IT as an idea
    IT as an idea will be
    ça as a subject (active) pronoun,
    le as an object (passive) pronoun.
    EX:
    It works: ça marche.
    I know it: Je le sais
    However, "ça" becomes "ce"
    in front of the verb "être" (to be)
    EX:
    It”s true: C’est vrai.
    Ce will also be used instead of "il" and
    "elle" (also "ils" and "elles") with "être"
     if followed by a noun,
    except for professions:
    EX:
    It’s a man: C’est un homme
                 but also :
    He’s a man : C’est un homme
       He’s wise : Il est sage
(This is an adjective)
    He’s a wise man: C’est un homme sage
            (there’s a noun)
    He’s a teacher: Il est professeur  
            (exception: this is a profession)
    THIS and THAT.
    "This" and "that" in french are "ceci"
    "cela", but cela contracts to "ça" which is
    used much more frequently,
    and becomes "ce" in front of "être".
    EX:
        Did you see this? Tu as vu ça?
        I saw it : Je l’ai vu (see « it » above).
        I want that: Je veux ça.
       This is good! ça, c’est bon!
      (this, it is good, to distinguish from
      " it’s  good": c’est bon!)
                                           

A
l
o
h
a




F
r
a
n
c
e  
.   .
.   .
.    .
.    .
.    .
. N
. E .
.    .
.    .
.    .
.   .
.  .
.   .
.    .
.    .  
.  P
.  A .
.  S .
.    .
.    .



    "On" is used in French as often if not
    more often than "Nous" to express "We".
    EX:
    On travaille: We are working.

    "On" can also mean "they" (meaning
    people):
    On parle français en France.
    They (people) speak French in France.

    Or it can mean someone, one :
    On ouvre la porte:
    Someone is opening the door.
                                                                
    It's the context which decides the
    meaning.

    Notice that "on" conjugates only in the
    third person singular, like "il" "elle" and  
    "ça", even when it means "we". Think of
    it as "the  group".
                           

                                     EN
You will often find in French the pronoun "EN". What does it stand for?
As a rule, "en" will replace "de+noun". it can also be "des+noun",
"du+noun", "de la+noun" "de l'+noun". Consequently, it is usually
translated in english as "some" "of it" "of them" "from it" etc...
If you follow this rule, you will use "en" correctly.
EX:
    Voulez-vous des fruits? J'en veux.
    Do you want fruits? I want some.
Contrast with:
    Voulez-vous les fruits? Je les veux.
    Do you want the fruits? I want them.
In the first example, "en" replaces "des fruits"
In the second example "les" replaces "les fruits".
The difference is that in the first example you do not really know
what fruits you are talking about, while in the second example you do.

-"En" applies to both people and things;
Avez-vous besoin d'argent? Je n'en ai pas besoin
Do you need money? I don't ( need any)
Ont-ils des enfants: Ils  en ont.
Do they have children? They do (they have some).


                    EN and quantities.
When expressing quantities, you must either mention what you're
talking about or use "en" to replace it.
EX:
Voyez-vous une femme?
Oui, je vois une femme.
Oui, j'en vois une

Non, je ne vois pas de femme.
Non, je n'en vois pas.

Non, je vois deux femmes
Non, j'en vois deux.

En fait, je vois plusieurs femmes.
En fait, j'en vois plusieurs.

Notice that the article "un" or "une" meaning "a" in English is
considered here a quantity. So you say:
Avez-vous une reservation?
Oui, j'en ai une (I have one)
If you say: "J'en ai" it implies you have more than one (some).

Finally, beware, there are 2 other "EN" in French which are not  
pronouns:
-When EN  means "while", "by"  often followed by a present participle.
EX:
J'apprends en étudiant: I learn by Studying.
Je chante en marchant: I sing while walking.
En avion: By plane.
-When EN means "in", tending to mean "within"
Il a terminé le travail en 2 heures.
He finished the job in (within) 2hours.
Nous voyageons en France
We travel in (within) France.
These meanings of EN lead to a series of idiomatic expressions,
many of them listed on the Intermediate page.
Do you see a woman?
I do (I see a woman)
I do (I see one)

No, I do not see any woman
No, I do not see any

No, I see 2 women
No, I see 2

In fact I see several women
In fact I see several  
                     Y
Y replaces "à + noun" and is found  much
less than EN.
For one thing, it can only replace things,
not people. For people, one uses an  
indirect pronoun (see above)
EX:
Pensez-vous à ce beau cadeau?
J'y pense.
Are you thinking of this beautiful gift.
I am thinking of it.
BUT:
Parlez-vous à votre voisin?
Je lui parle.
Do you speak to your neighbor?
I do (I speak to him)

In most cases, the noun is a location,
and  Y thus can mean "there":

Allez-vous à Paris?   J'y vais
Restez-vous à l'école. J'y reste.

Are you going to Paris? I am (going there)
Are you staying at school? I am.

Y often expresses location and destination,
and sometimes "à" is replaced by another  
word expressing location or destination:

Dinerez-vous chez elle? J'y dinerai.
Will you have diner at her house. I will.
Serez-vous En France? J'y serai.
Will you be in France? I will.
Demeurez-vous  dans cette ville?
J'y demeure.
Do you reside in this town? I do


When it does not express location or  
destination, Y is used with a very limited
number of verbs which are followed by à+
object: Réflechir à, s'opposer à, s'habituer à
EX;
Vous habituez-vous à cette belle vie ?
Je m'y habitue.
Vous opposez-vous  à cette guerre?
Je m'y oppose.

There are a few idiomatic expressions with
Y, the most important one being "Il y a".
"Il y a" (literally "it has there") means
"there is" or "there are" and establishes   
existence , presence.
EX:
Il y a des gens assis dans le jardin.
There are people sitting in the garden.
Not to be confused with "C"est" "Ce sont"
(it is, they are) which qualifies:
Ce sont mes amis: They are my friends
                  Les pronoms    
 "EN"                    et                 "Y"
The pronoun  "ON"