French

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

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

Subject pronouns are the fundamental building blocks, telling you who is doing the action. Understanding them is your first step to clear and effective communication in French!

First, let’s quickly clarify what a pronoun is. In grammar, a pronoun is a word that replaces a noun. For example, instead of repeating a noun (e.g., “John went to the store. John bought bread. John came home.”), you can use a pronoun (“he went to the store. He bought bread. He came home.”).

Subject pronouns (pronoms personnels sujets in French) are a specific type of pronoun that refer to the subject of a sentence. Here is a simple chart with the most common French subject pronouns, their meaning, and pronunciation to get you started.

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

 

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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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).

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.

Understanding “Tu” vs. “Vous”: The Two “You”s

Both “tu” and “vous” mean “you,” but they indicate different levels of formality.

  • Tu (Informal “You”): Use with friends, family, children, pets, or anyone you know well.

    • Tu vas à la plage demain? – Are you going to the beach tomorrow?

  • Vous (Formal “You” or Plural “You”): Use with strangers, elders, in professional settings, or to show respect. It’s also used when addressing more than one person, regardless of formality.

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

    • Vous êtes intelligents. – You (all) are smart.

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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