French

French Subject Pronouns: A Complete Guide with Pronunciation, Examples & Exercises

Chart of French subject pronouns with pronunciation, list of French subject pronouns in frenc ahd english with pronunciation

French subject pronouns are words that refer to the subjects of a sentence, they are the words I, you, he, she, we, you, they and in French they’re je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, ils, elles. They are one of many types of pronouns, these words are fundamental for constructing sentences, and are typically among the first concepts a Spanish learner must know.

This is a complete and comprehensive guide where you will learn everything about French subject pronouns.

What is a pronoun in general sense

In grammar, a pronoun is a word that replaces a noun, (person, animal, or thing) to avoid their repetition. There are several types of pronouns but here we’re studying subject personal pronouns.

Example

  • Subect pronoun: Marie is intelligent – She is intelligent. Explanation: Marie is the subject of the sentence and She is the pronoun that replaces Marie. She refers to Marie.
  • Demonstrative pronoun:  Between these shoes, i prefer these. Explanation: The form these is the pronoun that replaces the noun shoes.

Table of Contents

Chart of the French Subject pronouns

Here below is a list of french subject pronouns in French and English.

PronounMeaning
JeI
TuYou (singular, informal)
IlHe
ElleShe
NousWe
VousYou (plural, or formal singular)
IlsThey (masculine or mixed group)
EllesThey (feminine group)

Examples and sentences

  • Je parle français. – Je parle français.
  • Tu es belle. – You are beautiful.
  • Il est bon. –  He is good.
  • Elle est petite. – She is short.
  • Nous voulons sortir. – We want to go out.
  • Vous êtes intelligents. – You are smart.
  • Ils sont forts. – They are strong.

Tu vs. Vous

In French, there are two ways of saying you (for 2nd person singular) while in English, there is only one. These two forms depends on formality and types of relationships between subjects.

Determining Factors

  1. The kind of relationship you have with the person with whom you’re talking: Casual or formal.
  2. The age differences between the subjects.

Use Tu when the person with whom you’re talking is someone you know well, such as a friend or a relative, and when you speak with a young person or someone your age if you’re still young.

  • Tu vas à la plage domain? – You’re going to the beach tomorrow?

Use vous when you’re talking to someone you don’t know well, an elderly or when it’s a formal relationship such as your boss.

  • Salut madame, comment allez vous? – Hello ma’am, how are you?

Key Rules for Using French Subject Pronouns

French pronouns have some key rules that differ from other languages.

  1. They Go Before the Verb: In most French sentences, the subject pronoun is placed before the verb. This is a consistent rule to remember.

  • Tu danses avec ton ami. – You dance with your friend.
  • Vous avez une fête. – You have a party.

  1. Almost Always Obligatory: Unlike in languages where you can drop the pronoun (like Spanish or Italian), using the subject pronoun in French is almost always required.

  • She eats bread. → Elle mange du pain.
  • You cannot just say “Mange du pain” in French; the pronoun elle is necessary.

  1. The “Je” Contraction (J’): To make pronunciation smoother, the pronoun “Je” contracts to “J’” when it comes before a word starting with a vowel or a silent ‘h’.

  • J’aime les biscuits. (Instead of Je aime les biscuits).

Impersonal Il

“Il” is also used in impersonal expressions where it doesn’t refer to a specific person or thing, much like “it” in “It’s raining.”

  • Il pleut. – It’s raining.
  • Il faut aller à l’école. – One/We/You have to go to school.
  • Il est 16 heures. – It’s 4 o’clock.

The Pronoun “On” (One, We, People)

The French pronoun “on” is incredibly flexible. While grammatically treated as a singular pronoun (like “he/she”), its meaning can shift based on context. It is often used for “we” in casual conversation, making it less formal than “nous.”

  • “On” as “We” (Casual):

  • En France, on mange des crêpes. – In France, we eat crêpes.
  • On y va? – Shall we go?

  • “On” as “They” or “Someone” (General/Unspecified People):

  • Quand on est bon, la vie est plus facile. – When someone is good, life is easier.
  • Écoute si on te parle! – Listen if someone speaks to you!
  • On m’a dit que tu vas à l’Italie. – Someone told me you’re going to Italy.

  • “On” as “You” (General Truth/People in general):

  • On peut aller en Italie en train. – You (generally) can go to Italy by train.
  • On peut visiter Versailles en vacaciones. – You (generally) can visit Versailles during vacations.

Exercises

Now practice what you learned with the following exercises.

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blank

Fill in the blank with the correct French subject pronoun.

  1. My father is tall. ____ is very tall.
  2. My friend and I are here. ____ are here.
  3. My mother is nice. ____ is very nice.
  4. The children are playing. ____ are playing.
  5. The dog is sleeping. ____ is sleeping.
  6. My friends and I are going to the movies. ____ are going to the movies.

Exercise 2: Translate

Translate the following sentences from English to French.

  1. He is happy.
  2. They are in Paris.
  3. We love pizza.
  4. You (formal) are a doctor.
  5. She is my sister.

Answers

Exercise 1: Fill in the Blank

  1. Il est très grand.
  2. Nous sommes ici.
  3. Elle est très gentille.
  4. Ils jouent.
  5. Il dort.
  6. Nous allons au cinéma.

Exercise 2: Translate

  1. Il est content.
  2. Ils sont à Paris.
  3. Nous aimons la pizza.
  4. Vous êtes médecin.
  5. Elle est ma sœur.
[qsm quiz=3]
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