Object pronouns replace people or things connected to a verb. Placement is where those pronouns sit relative to the verb and to other words in the sentence.
In English, object pronouns normally follow the verb. I see him and She calls me are typical patterns.
French object pronouns usually come before the verb they belong to. Their position changes in a few important constructions, especially with infinitives and affirmative commands.
Pronouns before conjugated verbs
Object pronouns normally appear immediately before a conjugated verb. The same position applies to y and en.
The basic pattern is:
subject + pronoun + conjugated verb
The pronoun comes before the verb even when the English object comes after it:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je le connais. | I know him. |
| Elle nous appelle. | She calls us. |
| Nous lui parlons. | We speak to her. |
| Ils y vont. | They're going there. |
| J'en veux. | I want some. |
This position remains the same with different simple verb forms, including the present, future, and conditional.
Pronouns with compound tenses
A compound tense contains an auxiliary verb and a past participle. Object pronouns, y, and en appear before the auxiliary.
The basic pattern is:
subject + pronoun + auxiliary + past participle
The pronoun stays in front of the complete compound verb form:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je l'ai vu. | I saw him. |
| Elle nous a appelés. | She called us. |
| Nous lui avons parlé. | We spoke to her. |
| Ils y sont allés. | They went there. |
| J'en ai acheté. | I bought some. |
Pronouns with infinitives
When a conjugated verb is followed by an infinitive, an object pronoun normally appears immediately before the verb it belongs to.
If the pronoun is the object of the infinitive, it comes before the infinitive:
conjugated verb + pronoun + infinitive
The placement shows which action the pronoun completes:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je veux le voir. | I want to see him. |
| Elle va lui parler. | She's going to speak to him. |
| Nous pouvons y aller. | We can go there. |
| Il préfère en acheter deux. | He prefers to buy two. |
The pronoun does not automatically move in front of the first conjugated verb. Its position depends on which verb it belongs to.
Pronouns with commands
Pronoun placement changes with affirmative commands. The pronoun follows the verb and connects to it with a hyphen.
The basic pattern is:
command + pronoun
Affirmative commands place the pronoun after the verb:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Regarde-le. | Look at it. |
| Appelez-nous. | Call us. |
| Parle-lui. | Speak to him. |
| Vas-y. | Go there. |
| Prends-en. | Take some. |
With affirmative commands, me and te normally become moi and toi:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Écoute-moi. | Listen to me. |
| Assieds-toi. | Sit down. |
| Donnez-nous une minute. | Give us a minute. |
Negative commands return the pronoun to its normal position before the verb.
Pronouns with negation
In a negative sentence, object pronouns stay immediately before the verb they belong to. With a simple verb form, ne comes before the pronoun and the second negative word follows the verb.
The basic pattern is:
subject + ne + pronoun + verb + negative word
The pronoun remains close to the verb inside the negative construction:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je ne le connais pas. | I don't know him. |
| Elle ne nous appelle jamais. | She never calls us. |
| Nous ne lui parlons plus. | We don't speak to her anymore. |
| Ils n'y vont pas. | They aren't going there. |
| Je n'en veux pas. | I don't want any. |
With a compound tense, the pronoun appears before the auxiliary:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je ne l'ai pas vu. | I didn't see him. |
| Elle ne lui a jamais parlé. | She has never spoken to him. |
| Nous n'en avons pas acheté. | We didn't buy any. |
With an infinitive, the pronoun remains attached to the infinitive it belongs to:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je ne veux pas le voir. | I don't want to see him. |
| Elle ne peut pas lui parler. | She can't speak to him. |
| Nous ne voulons pas y aller. | We don't want to go there. |
Negative commands also place the pronoun before the verb:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Ne le regarde pas. | Don't look at it. |
| Ne lui parle pas. | Don't speak to him. |
| N'y va pas. | Don't go there. |
| N'en prends pas. | Don't take any. |
From learning to practice
Object pronouns are especially noticeable in quick everyday exchanges because they let speakers avoid repeating information that is already clear. Listen for short pronouns before verbs and for the change in position after affirmative commands.