Indirect Object Pronouns in French

Overview

Indirect object pronouns replace a noun that receives the action of the verb indirectly — typically the person "to whom" or "for whom" something is done. In French, these pronoms COI (complément d'objet indirect) are used with verbs that take the preposition à before a person, such as parler à (to speak to), téléphoner à (to call), and donner à (to give to).

At the A1 level, indirect object pronouns open up a whole range of everyday expressions. Instead of saying Je parle à Marie every time, you can simply say Je lui parle (I'm talking to her). This makes your French flow much more naturally and avoids repetitive noun phrases.

The placement follows the same pattern as direct object pronouns — before the conjugated verb. What makes indirect object pronouns tricky is that the third person forms are different from the direct object pronouns: lui means "to him" or "to her" (no gender distinction), and leur means "to them."

How It Works

Person	Singular	Plural
1st	me (m') — to me	nous — to us
2nd	te (t') — to you	vous — to you
3rd	lui — to him/her	leur — to them

Common verbs that take indirect objects (à + person):

Verb	Meaning	Example with pronoun
parler à	to speak to	Je lui parle.
téléphoner à	to call	Il lui téléphone.
donner à	to give to	Elle nous donne un cadeau.
écrire à	to write to	Je leur écris.
répondre à	to answer	Tu me réponds?
demander à	to ask	Il lui demande.
dire à	to say/tell to	Elle me dit bonjour.
envoyer à	to send to	Je t'envoie un message.

Placement rules:

• Before the conjugated verb: Je lui parle.
• In negation, between ne and the verb: Je ne lui parle pas.
• With infinitives, before the infinitive: Je veux lui parler.
• Me/te become m'/t' before a vowel: Il m'écrit.

Examples in Context

French	English	Note
Je te parle.	I'm talking to you.	Informal singular
Il lui téléphone.	He calls him/her.	lui = to him or to her
Elle nous écrit.	She writes to us.	1st person plural
Je leur donne le livre.	I give them the book.	3rd person plural
Tu me réponds?	Are you answering me?	1st person singular
Il ne lui dit rien.	He doesn't tell him/her anything.	In negation
Je veux lui parler.	I want to talk to him/her.	Before infinitive
Elle m'envoie un message.	She sends me a message.	me before vowel = m'
Vous leur expliquez la leçon.	You explain the lesson to them.	Formal/plural you
Je t'offre un café.	I'm buying you a coffee.	te before vowel = t'
On lui demande son avis.	We ask him/her for their opinion.	Common construction
Ne me parle pas comme ça!	Don't talk to me like that!	Negative imperative

Common Mistakes

Using "le/la" instead of "lui" for people

• Wrong: Je la téléphone. (I call her)
• Right: Je lui téléphone.
• Why: Téléphoner takes an indirect object (téléphoner à quelqu'un), so you need the indirect pronoun lui, not the direct pronoun la.

Confusing "lui" (to him) and "lui" (to her)

• Not a mistake, just confusing: Je lui parle can mean "I talk to him" OR "I talk to her."
• Why: Unlike direct object pronouns (le/la), the indirect pronoun lui does not distinguish gender. Context tells you who is meant.

Confusing "leur" (indirect pronoun) with "leur/leurs" (possessive)

• Wrong interpretation: Je leur donne = "I give their"
• Right interpretation: Je leur donne = "I give to them"
• Why: Leur before a verb is an indirect object pronoun (to them). Leur/leurs before a noun is a possessive adjective (their). They look similar but function differently.

Forgetting which verbs take indirect objects

• Wrong: Je lui regarde. (I look at him)
• Right: Je le regarde.
• Why: Regarder takes a direct object in French (regarder quelqu'un, not regarder à quelqu'un), so use le/la, not lui.

Practice Tips

1. Memorize which common verbs take à + person: parler à, téléphoner à, donner à, écrire à, répondre à, dire à, demander à. These are the verbs where you will use indirect object pronouns most.
2. Practice replacing nouns: Je parle à Pierre → Je lui parle. Je donne le livre aux enfants → Je leur donne le livre.
3. Create mini-dialogues: Tu téléphones à ta mère? — Oui, je lui téléphone tous les jours.

Related Concepts

• Subject Pronouns — the parent concept covering the French pronoun system