French Indirect Object Pronouns: Lui and Leur

French indirect object pronouns can be tricky for English speakers. Let's focus on two commonly confused pronouns: "lui" and "leur".

What are indirect object pronouns?

Indirect object pronouns replace nouns that are indirect objects in a sentence. They answer the question "to whom?" or "for whom?" an action is done.

Lui vs Leur

• "Lui" is used for a single person (masculine or feminine)
• "Leur" is used for multiple people

Usage examples

Lui

• Je parle à Marie. → Je lui parle. (I talk to Marie. → I talk to her.)
• Il donne un cadeau à son frère. → Il lui donne un cadeau. (He gives a gift to his brother. → He gives him a gift.)

Leur

• Nous écrivons aux étudiants. → Nous leur écrivons. (We write to the students. → We write to them.)
• Elle montre la photo à ses parents. → Elle leur montre la photo. (She shows the photo to her parents. → She shows them the photo.)

Position in sentences

Indirect object pronouns are usually placed before the verb:

• Je lui ai donné le livre. (I gave him/her the book.)
• Nous leur avons expliqué la situation. (We explained the situation to them.)

Remember, with compound tenses, the pronoun goes before the auxiliary verb.

By mastering "lui" and "leur", you'll be able to express yourself more naturally and efficiently in French conversations.