More About Object Pronouns

Question 1

Double object pronouns appear in which order?

Answer 1

Me (m’)-> le-> lui
Tu (t’)-> la-> leur
Se-> les
Nous
Vous

Y/en+verb

The first column in this chart includes direct object, indirect object, and reflexive pronouns. The second column has only direct object pronouns and the third column has only indirect object pronouns. Y and en come last and follow each other in that order. In negative sentences, ne precedes the double object pronoun.

Question 2

Declarative sentences and question examples

Answer 2

• Joseph envoyait des mails à Corinne. Il lui en envoyait (Joseph used to send e-mails to Corinne. He used to send her some)
• Tu me donnes cette écharpe? Tu me la donnes? (Are you giving me that scarf? Are you giving it to me?)
• Non, je ne t’offre pas d’argent. Je ne t’en offre pas. (No, I’m not offering you any money. I’m not offering you any.)
• Elle vous a retrouvés à la gare? Elle vous y a retrouvés? (Did she meet you (pl.) at the station? Did she meet you there?)

Question 3

Pronominal verb examples

Answer 3

• Je me lave les mains. Je me les lave. (I wash my hands. I wash them.)
• Sonja s’est brossé les cheveux. Elle se les est brossés. (Sonja brushed her hair. She brushed it.)

In the previous example, brossés agrees with the preceding direct object
les 􏰄 les cheveux.

Question 4

Negative imperative examples

Answer 4

• Ces cahiers? Non, ne me les donnez pas. (Those notebooks? No, don’t give them to me.)
• Ce film? Ne nous en parle pas! (parler de) (That movie? Don’t talk to us about it!)

Question 5

Double object pronouns with affirmative imperatives

Answer 5

All object pronouns precede negative imperatives, as you see in the previous examples. However, in an affirmative imperative, object pronouns follow the verb. When there are two object pronouns in an affirmative imperative, they occur in this order:

Affirmative commands
Le-> moi(m’)-> nous-> y-> en
La-> toi(t’)-> vous
Les-> lui-> leur

The first column in the chart is made up of direct objects; the six pronouns in the second and third columns are all indirect objects; y and en follow.

• Vous voulez mon billet? Oui, donnez-le-moi. (Do you want my ticket? Yes, give it to me.)
• Je t’apporte des gâteaux? Oui, apporte-m’en. (Shall I bring you some cookies? —Yes, bring me some.)
• On achète ces cadeaux pour les enfants? Oui, achetons-les-leur. (Shall we buy these gifts for the children? Yes, let’s buy them for them.)