French Subject Pronouns: The Essential Guide

What are Subject Pronouns?

Subject pronouns in French stand in for the person or thing performing the action in a sentence. They're essential for constructing basic French sentences.

Singular Pronouns

Je (I)

• Used for speaking about yourself
• Becomes "j'" before vowels and silent h

Examples:

1. "Je mange une pomme" (I eat an apple)

• Uses "je" because the speaker is performing the action

2. "J'aime le café" (I like coffee)

• Uses "j'" because "aime" starts with a vowel

Tu (You - informal)

• Used with friends, family, children
• Shows familiarity or closeness

Examples:

1. "Tu parles français?" (Do you speak French?)

• Uses "tu" in an informal setting

2. "Tu viens avec nous?" (Are you coming with us?)

• Uses "tu" showing closeness with the person asked

Il/Elle (He/She)

• Il for masculine subjects
• Elle for feminine subjects
• Used for people and objects matching their grammatical gender

Examples:

1. "Il travaille à Paris" (He works in Paris)

• Uses "il" for a male person

2. "Elle est rouge" (It/She is red)

• Uses "elle" for feminine nouns like "la voiture" (the car)

On (One/We/People)

• Can mean "one," "people," or informal "we"
• Often replaces "nous" in casual speech

Examples:

1. "On va au cinéma" (We're going to the movies)

• Uses "on" as casual replacement for "nous"

2. "On ne peut pas fumer ici" (One cannot smoke here)

• Uses "on" for general statements

Plural Pronouns

Nous (We)

• Formal way to say "we"
• Used in writing and formal speech

Examples:

1. "Nous habitons à Lyon" (We live in Lyon)

• Uses "nous" for multiple people including the speaker

2. "Nous sommes étudiants" (We are students)

• Uses "nous" in a formal context

Vous (You - formal/plural)

• Formal singular "you"
• Plural "you" (both formal and informal)

Examples:

1. "Vous êtes médecin?" (Are you a doctor?)

• Uses "vous" for politeness with strangers

2. "Vous venez tous?" (Are you all coming?)

• Uses "vous" for multiple people

Ils/Elles (They)

• Ils for all-male or mixed groups
• Elles for all-female groups

Examples:

1. "Ils vont à l'école" (They go to school)

• Uses "ils" for a mixed group of students

2. "Elles dansent" (They dance)

• Uses "elles" for an all-female group

Important Usage Rules

1. Subject pronouns are required in French Unlike some languages, French requires pronouns with verbs:

• "Parle français" (incorrect)
• "Je parle français" (correct)

2. Capitalization Only capitalize "je" when it starts a sentence:

• "Je suis ici" (beginning of sentence)
• "Hier, je suis allé" (middle of sentence)

3. Gender Agreement

• Always match pronoun gender with the subject
• Use "ils" for mixed groups regardless of ratio

Common Mistakes to Avoid

1. Dropping the subject pronoun
2. Using "tu" in formal situations
3. Using "elle/il" based on natural gender instead of grammatical gender for objects
4. Forgetting to use "ils" for mixed groups