If you've ever paused mid-sentence in French trying to remember whether it's lui or le, you're not alone. Object pronouns (pronoms compléments) are one of the grammar points that trip up learners at every level, from A2 all the way to B2, because English simply doesn't make the same distinctions.
The good news: once you understand the logic, object pronouns stop being a guessing game. In this guide, I'll walk you through direct object pronouns (COD), indirect object pronouns (COI), and pronoms toniques (stressed pronouns), with the examples and tests I actually use with my students.
Free download: the pronoms compléments cheat sheet
I've put every rule in this article onto a single printable page: COD, COI, y, en and pronoms toniques, all in one place. Free to download, just create a free account.
Get the free cheat sheet →What is an object pronoun, exactly?
An object pronoun replaces a noun that's already been mentioned, so you don't have to repeat it. In English, this is easy: "I see Marie" becomes "I see her." French does the same thing, but it splits the job between several different pronouns depending on the grammar of the sentence, not just the meaning.
There are three families to know: COD (direct object), COI (indirect object), and pronoms toniques (stressed pronouns). Two more, y and en, cover places and quantities. I've written a full separate guide on those two: En and Y in French: The Complete Guide.
COD: direct object pronouns
Me, te, le, la, l', nous, vous, les.
A COD replaces a noun that follows the verb directly, with no preposition in between. It answers the question "qui ?" (who?) or "quoi ?" (what?).
Tu manges la pomme ? → Oui, je la mange. (I eat it)
Ils nous écoutent ? → Oui, ils nous écoutent. (They listen to us)
Il appelle ses amis ? → Oui, il les appelle. (He calls them)
Notice there's no "à" or "de" hiding anywhere in the French verb: manger quelque chose, écouter quelqu'un, appeler quelqu'un. The object attaches straight to the verb, so it's a COD.
COI: indirect object pronouns
Me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur.
A COI replaces a noun introduced by the preposition à, and it always refers to a person (for things, you'd use y instead, as covered in the en/y guide). It answers the question "à qui ?" (to whom?).
Elle écrit à ses parents ? → Oui, elle leur écrit. (She writes to them)
Il te répond tout de suite ? → Oui, il me répond tout de suite. (He answers me)
Tu parles à Marie ? → Oui, je lui parle. (I talk to her)
The verb is the giveaway: écrire à quelqu'un, répondre à quelqu'un, parler à quelqu'un. Whenever a French verb is followed by à + person, you're looking at a COI.
COD vs COI: the one question that settles it
Most learners try to translate from English, which backfires because English doesn't mark this distinction consistently. Instead, ask yourself: does the French verb take "à" before the person, or not?
| COD (no "à") | COI (with "à") |
|---|---|
| regarder quelqu'un | parler à quelqu'un |
| écouter quelqu'un | répondre à quelqu'un |
| aider quelqu'un | téléphoner à quelqu'un |
| connaître quelqu'un | écrire à quelqu'un |
This trips people up because the English translations don't line up: "to call someone" is direct in English but téléphoner à quelqu'un is indirect in French, so it's lui téléphoner, not le téléphoner. There's no shortcut here: you have to learn each verb's construction, ideally by memorising a short example sentence with it.
Where does the pronoun go in the sentence?
Both COD and COI pronouns go before the verb (or before the auxiliary in compound tenses):
Je la mange. → I eat it.
Je ne la mange pas. → I don't eat it.
Je lui ai parlé. → I talked to her.
In the imperative, they move after the verb with a hyphen, but only in the affirmative:
Appelle-moi ! → Call me!
Ne m'appelle pas. → Don't call me.
Pronoms toniques: moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles
Pronoms toniques (stressed pronouns) exist for the situations where me, te, le, lui and friends can't be used: after a preposition, or to emphasise the subject.
Tu sors avec ton frère ? → Oui, je sors avec lui. (after the preposition "avec")
C'est pour moi, ce cadeau ? → Oui, c'est pour toi. (after "pour")
Moi, je pense que c'est une bonne idée. (emphasising the subject)
Use pronoms toniques after any preposition: avec, sans, pour, chez, devant, derrière… and also on their own, as a short answer: "Qui a fait ça ? — Moi."
Putting it all together: a quick decision test
- Is there a preposition before the noun? If it's avec, sans, pour, chez, etc., use a pronom tonique.
- Does the verb take "à" before a person? If yes, use a COI (lui, leur…). If no, use a COD (le, la, les…).
- Is it a place or a quantity? Use y or en instead (see the full en/y guide).
Practice sentences to try right now
Replace the underlined words with the correct pronoun:
- Tu regardes la télé ce soir ?
- Elle téléphone à sa sœur.
- Nous sortons avec nos amis samedi.
- Il connaît Paul et Marie depuis longtemps.
- Tu réponds à ton professeur ?
Answers: 1. Tu la regardes ce soir ? 2. Elle lui téléphone. 3. Nous sortons avec eux samedi. 4. Il les connaît depuis longtemps. 5. Tu lui réponds ?
Why this is worth mastering
Object pronouns come up constantly in everyday conversation, far more than most grammar points taught at the same level. Getting comfortable with COD and COI doesn't just help you sound more natural, it makes your sentences shorter and faster, exactly the way a native speaker actually talks.
I've turned everything in this article into a single printable cheat sheet you can download for free: grab it from the free resources page and keep it next to you while you practise.