Stop repeating long names in your conversations. Today we learn how to say "to him", "to her", and "to them" using tiny helper words placed exactly where they belong!
In English, we often do actions **to** or **for** people:
→ "I speak to Paul." or "I write to Marie."
Rather than repeating their names constantly, we say "I speak to him" or "I write to her." In French grammar, these are called Indirect Object Pronouns, but let's think of them simply as Recipient Pronouns.
Imagine a postman delivering mail:
In English, the recipient sits at the very end of the line ("I speak **to Paul**").
But in French, the recipient pronoun leaps forward, sitting directly in front of the verb engine:
→ English: "I speak **to him**."
→ French literal order: "I **to-him** speak."
Close your eyes. In a French sentence, where do we place the pronoun for the person we are speaking "to"? Before the verb, or at the end of the sentence?
Click on the option that best answers each question, then click "Reveal Answers" below to check your work!
1. In the sentence "I give the book to Marie," who or what is the "recipient" (indirect object)?
2. Where do we position the recipient pronoun in French?
Question 1: Correct Answer: Marie (the recipient).
Explanation: Marie receives the book. The book is the direct object (the item being given), and 'I' is the subject performing the action.
Question 2: Correct Answer: Directly before the conjugated verb engine.
Explanation: Recipient pronouns always stand guard immediately in front of the verb that triggers the communication or transaction.
When delivering an action to one person (singular), French makes things extremely easy: it uses the same word regardless of whether that person is male or female!
| French Pronoun | Pronunciation Guide | English Equivalent | Sentence Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| lui | [lwee] | To him / To her | Je lui parle (I speak to him / to her) |
lui [lwee] : Sounds like the names "Louie" or "Louise".
Think: "I speak **to Louie** and also **to Louise**, so I use Lui ([lwee] ) for both!"
Look away from the screen. How do you say "to him" and "to her" in French? Recite the word and its pronunciation guide from memory.
1. How do you say "I speak to Marie" using a pronoun?
2. Translate the French sentence "Je lui téléphone":
Question 1: Correct Answer: Je lui parle.
Explanation: Even though Marie is female, French uses the singular pronoun `lui` [lwee] to mean "to her". `Je la parle` is grammatically incorrect because "parler" requires an indirect object ("parler à").
Question 2: Correct Answer: I am calling him or her.
Explanation: `lui` is singular, so it refers to one person (him/her). "Calling them" would use the plural pronoun `leur`.
When delivering an action to multiple people (plural), French uses a single pronoun:
| French Pronoun | Pronunciation Guide | English Equivalent | Sentence Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| leur | [luhr] | To them | Je leur parle (I speak to them) |
leur [luhr] : Sounds like English "lure" (fishing bait).
Think: "We must *lure* (leur) them into the parlor to speak **to them**."
Important Grammar Note: Do not confuse this with the possessive adjective meaning "their". As a recipient pronoun, `leur` *never* takes an 's' on the end, even if the group is huge!
Close your eyes. How do you spell and say "to them" in French? Recite it, focusing on the silent ending.
1. Translate "I speak to them" (them refers to my parents):
2. True or False: The recipient pronoun "leur" should be written with an 's' at the end when referring to more than three people.
Question 1: Correct Answer: Je leur parle.
Explanation: `leur` is the plural recipient pronoun meaning "to them". Option C is incorrect because recipient `leur` never takes an 's'.
Question 2: Correct Answer: False, as a recipient pronoun, "leur" is always singular in spelling, with no 's'.
Explanation: This is a common trap. While possessive `leurs` (their) takes an 's' before plural nouns, the recipient pronoun `leur` (to them) never does.
How do we know when to use lui and leur? We use them with verbs that naturally require the preposition à (to) before a person. Let's master the five most common communication/transaction verbs:
| French Verb + à | Pronunciation Guide | Meaning & Mnemonic Connection |
|---|---|---|
| parler à | [par-lay ah] | To speak to (Think of a speaking parlor room) |
| donner à | [dohn-nay ah] | To give to (Think of making a financial donation) |
| téléphoner à | [tay-lay-foh-nay ah] | To call / telephone to (English cognate) |
| écrire à | [ay-kreer ah] | To write to (Think of a **scrib**e writing manuscripts) |
| demander à | [duh-mahn-day ah] | To ask of / ask to (Think of making a polite **demand**) |
Without looking back, recite the French infinitives for "to give to", "to write to", and "to ask of". Use the mnemonics to guide you.
1. What is the French verb for "to write to"?
2. Which verb is linked to the mnemonic "donation"?
Question 1: Correct Answer: écrire à.
Explanation: `écrire à` [ay-kreer ah] is to write to, linked to scribe/scribble.
Question 2: Correct Answer: donner à.
Explanation: `donner à` [dohn-nay ah] means to give to, linked to donate/donation.
How do we say we do not speak to someone?
Recall the Negation Sandwich (`ne... pas`). The Recipient Pronoun (`lui`/`leur`) is a VIP guest that joins the verb engine inside the sandwich.
The negation bread slices wrap around both the pronoun and the verb as a single unit:
Subject + ne + Recipient + Verb + pas
In the dialogue in Section 6, Luc says: "Je ne lui ai pas parlé." (I did not speak to him). Why is the action word parlé sitting outside the sandwich?
ne... pas wraps around them: Je ne lui ai pas...
Compare:
→ Present: Je ne lui parle pas. (verb is inside)
→ Past: Je ne lui ai pas parlé. (helper is inside, participle is outside)
Close your eyes. Translate "I do not write to her." Remember: her = lui, write = écris. Put the sandwich around both.
1. Translate "I do not call them" (call is téléphone):
2. Translate "She does not give to him" (give is donne):
Question 1: Correct Answer: Je ne leur téléphone pas.
Explanation: The negation slice `ne` sits before the recipient pronoun `leur`, and `pas` sits after the verb `téléphone`.
Question 2: Correct Answer: Elle ne lui donne pas.
Explanation: `lui` is the recipient pronoun meaning "to him". `sa` is a possessive adjective meaning "her" (before a feminine noun) and cannot be used here.
Sophie and Luc are gossiping about party invitations. Read the conversation, play the audio, and track the recipient pronouns.
Tu as parlé à Thomas de la fête ?
[too ah par-lay ah toh-mah duh lah fet]
"Did you speak to Thomas about the party?"
Non, je ne lui ai pas parlé. J'ai peur !
[nohn, zhuh nuh lwee ay pah par-lay. zhay puhr]
"No, I did not speak to him. I am afraid!" (Note: lui sits in front of auxiliary verb 'ai')
Et tes parents ? Tu leur as demandé ?
[ay tay pah-rahn? too luhr ah duh-mahn-day]
"And your parents? Did you ask them?"
Oui, je leur ai demandé. Ils ont dit oui !
[wee, zhuh luhr ay duh-mahn-day. eel zohn dee wee]
"Yes, I asked them. They said yes!"
Why does French insist on placing "to" before communication recipients? In French culture, speaking, writing, and calling are viewed as cooperative **transactions** where information is active energy sent **to** a receiver.
Because you must always direct your communication **to** someone, you must always use these Indirect Recipient pronouns (`lui`/`leur`) for people, avoiding direct pronouns like *le/la/les*.
Construct the French sentence: "I do not speak to him."
Click the word cards below in the correct order to place them in the slots. Click a card in a slot to remove it.
Test your memory across three levels! Select a French card, then select its matching English equivalent.
Import the official Chapter 23 flashcard deck directly into your dashboard to practice daily recall checks.
Complete all three tiers of the test to prove you have mastered French indirect object pronouns with zero external assistance.
1. Which pronoun is used to mean "to them"?
2. What does "Je lui écris" mean?
3. Where does the recipient pronoun sit in a negative sentence?
4. Translate the phrase: "Nous leur donnons le livre."
5. Translate: "Il ne lui parle pas."
Choose the correct word from the dropdown menu to complete each sentence.
Write the complete French sentence. Capitalize the first letter.
1. Translate: "I speak to him."
Hint: "Je..." followed by recipient pronoun and speak (parle).2. Translate: "She does not write to them."
Hint: "Elle ne..." followed by them pronoun, write (écrit), and pas.3. Translate: "We call her." (téléphoner)
Hint: "Nous..." followed by her pronoun, and call (téléphonons).4. Translate: "I ask them." (demander)
Hint: "Je..." followed by them pronoun, and ask (demande).5. Translate: "Do you (informal) write to him?" (Use inversion)
Hint: Place him pronoun first: "Lui..." followed by the inverted question "écris-tu ?".