8 - Subject Pronouns
Basics
- je (I)
- tu (you, informal singular)
- il (he/it, masculine)
- elle (she/it, feminine)
- on (we/one, informal)
- nous (we, formal)
- vous (you, formal singular or plural)
- ils (they, masculine or mixed group)
- elles (they, feminine group)
| French | Type | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Je | 1st person | I |
| Tu | 2nd person informal, singular | You (informal) |
| Vous | 2nd person formal, singular or plural | You (formal) |
| On | 3rd person impersonal, or 1st person plural informal. It’s used when the subject is impersonal, not really referring to any single person or group of people. | one/we |
| Nous | 1st person plural formal | we |
| Vous | 2nd person formal or plural | you, you all |
| Il | 3rd person masculine singular | He/It |
| Elle | 3rd person feminine singular | She |
| ils | 3rd person masculine plural | they |
| elles | 3rd person feminine plural | they |
On
On: This pronoun has multiple uses, which can be confusing for beginners.
- Impersonal "one": Similar to "one" in English. Example: En France, on mange bien. (In France, one eats well / people eat well.)
- Informal "we": Often used instead of "nous" in spoken French. Example: On va au cinéma. (We are going to the cinema.)
- "They" (in certain contexts): When the subject is a general group of people. Example: On dit que c'est difficile. (They say that it's difficult.)
info
Hypothetical Scenario: Imagine you are talking about a new restaurant. You might say, "On dit que c'est bon," meaning "They say it's good" or "I've heard it's good."
-
So the main difference between on and nous is that on is used informally whereas nous is used formally
-
The main difference between on and ils and elles is that on is used when the subject is impersonal, not really referring to any single person or group of people, while ils and elles are used when the subject is a group of people.
Practice
Translate the following sentences into French, using the correct subject pronouns:
- I am happy.
- You are my friend (informal).
- He is a doctor.
- She is a teacher.
- We are students.
- You are welcome (formal).
- They are from Spain (masculine/mixed).
- They are sisters (feminine).
Rewrite the following sentences, replacing the nouns with the appropriate subject pronouns:
- Marie est intelligente.
- Pierre est grand.
- Marie et Pierre sont mariés.
- Sophie et Claire sont amies.
- Le livre est intéressant.
- La voiture est rapide.