01 - Direct and indirect objects

Direct objects and indirect objects

info

The direct object or indirect object always comes before the verb/infinitive. This is the main difference between spanish and french. The direct or indirect object or object pronoun is always before the verb.

• direct objects: pronouns for objects receiving the action directly
• indirect objects: pronouns for objects

direct objects

Direct Object Pronouns: These replace the direct object of a verb (the person or thing that receives the action of the verb directly). The direct object pronouns are: me, te, le/la, nous, vous, les.

Type	French
1st person direct object	me
2nd person direct object, informal	te
3rd person direct object, singular feminine	la
3rd person direct object, singular masculine or unknown	le
1st person plural direct object	nous
2nd person plural or 2nd person singular formal direct object	vous
3rd person direct object plural	les

Here are some examples:

• Je veux la table → Je la veux = I want it, feminine object
• Je veux le chien → Je le veux = I want it, masculine object

Indirect objects

Indirect Object Pronouns: These replace the indirect object of a verb (the person or thing to whom or for whom the action is done). The indirect object pronouns are: me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur.

Type	French
1st person direct object	me
2nd person direct object, informal	te
3rd person direct object, singular feminine and masculine	lui
1st person plural direct object	nous
2nd person plural or 2nd person singular formal direct object	vous
3rd person direct object plural	leur

Example:

• Original: Je parle à Marie. (I am speaking to Marie.)
• With pronoun: Je lui parle. (I am speaking to her.) (lui replaces à Marie)

Example:

• Original: Tu téléphones à tes parents. (You are calling your parents.)
• With pronoun: Tu leur téléphones. (You are calling them.) (leur replaces à tes parents)

Example:

• Original: Il donne le livre à moi. (He gives the book to me.)
• With pronoun: Il me donne le livre. (He gives me the book.) (me replaces à moi)

direct and indirect object order with verbs in past tense

When you have multiple verbs in an object along with an indirect or direct object and you are using the past tense, the object always gets paired with the first verb in the sentence, like so:

• l’as tu fondu? = have you melted it? ✅
  • Direct object is paired with avoir conjugation
• Tu l’as fondu? = have you melted it? ✅
  • Direct object is paired with avoir conjugation
• Tu as le fondu? = have you melted it? ❌
  • Direct object should not be paired with participle
• As-tu le fondu? = have you melted it? ❌
  • Direct object should not be paired with participle

Here are some more examples:

• nous les avons fondu = We have melted them
• As-tu perdu les cles encore? = have you lost the keys again?
• quand l'ont-ils perdu? = When did they lose it

dealing with verbs starting with vowels - liason rule

Whenever you have a verb or infinitive starting with a vowel and you have the direct object before it, you smush them together with an apostrophe, like so

• J’ai une orange, Je l’ai = I have it, verb that starts with a vowel
• Tu dois l’organicer = You must organize it (infinitive that starts with a vowel)