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French Direct Object Pronouns
French direct object pronouns replace the thing or person that receives a verb directly: le, la, l’, les, plus me, te, nous, and vous when those words mean "me", "you", "us", or "you" as objects. The big difference from English is placement: the pronoun usually jumps in front of the verb.
Tu vois le bus ? Oui, je le vois.
This page trains that jump in ordinary sentences, negation, passé composé, and verb + infinitive structures. If you are choosing between a direct object pronoun (COD) and an indirect object pronoun (COI), use the test on the direct vs indirect object pronouns page.
In short
- A direct object answers "whom?" or "what?" after the verb, with no
à: Je vois qui ? Marie. Je vois quoi ? le bus. - Replace it with le, la, l’, or les: Je la vois. Je le prends. Je les invite.
- Put the pronoun before the conjugated verb, before
avoirin the passé composé, or before the infinitive when there is one (exception: affirmative commands put it after the verb — Regarde-le !).
direct object pronounword it replacespast participle agreement· hover a highlighted word for its label
The direct object test
A direct object is attached to the verb without a preposition. Ask the verb "what?" or "whom?" If the answer comes directly after the verb, you can replace it with a direct object pronoun.
| Object replaced | Pronoun |
|---|---|
| me | me / m’ |
| you | te / t’ |
| him, it masculine | le / l’ |
| her, it feminine | la / l’ |
| us | nous |
| you | vous |
| them | les |
I see it from here.
— Le replaces le bus, a masculine direct object.
I am watching it now.
— La replaces la vidéo, a feminine direct object.
They invite their neighbors every year.
— Les replaces a plural direct object.
Where the pronoun goes
In a simple tense, the direct object pronoun goes before the conjugated verb. This is the "hop" French learners need to practice, because English normally leaves the object after the verb: "I see it"; French says, literally, "I it see." Exception: affirmative commands put the pronoun after the verb: Regarde-le !
Can you hear me?
— M’ is the direct object before the verb.
The children know us well.
— Nous means "us" as a direct object, not "we".
Negation keeps the same hop
With negation, ne goes before the pronoun and pas goes after the verb. The pronoun still stays glued in front of the verb.
I don’t see it, but I’m looking for it.
— In negation, la stays glued between ne and the verb; pas follows the verb.
Passé composé: before avoir, plus agreement
In the passé composé with avoir, the direct object pronoun goes before the auxiliary. When the direct object comes before avoir, the past participle agrees with it: je l’ai vue, je les ai invitées. This page gives the practical intro; the full agreement system belongs to past participle agreement.
This series, I have already watched it.
— L’ replaces cette série and triggers feminine agreement on vue.
These emails? I sent them this morning.
— Les comes before ai, so envoyés agrees in the plural.
With an infinitive
When two verbs work together, the pronoun usually goes before the infinitive it belongs to, not before the first conjugated verb. The useful question is: who receives which action?
I am going to buy it after work.
— L’ belongs to acheter, so it goes before the infinitive.
She wants to help you tomorrow.
— T’ is the object of aider, not of vouloir.
What this page does not decide
Direct object pronouns are only for verbs that take their object directly: voir quelqu’un, aimer quelque chose, attendre le bus. Verbs built with à use a different path: parler à Marie becomes lui parler, not la parler. That COD-or-COI decision is the job of the direct vs indirect object pronouns guide.
Common mistakes
✗Je vois Marie. Je vois la.
✓Je vois Marie. Je la vois.
In French, the direct object pronoun goes before the conjugated verb, not after it.
✗Tu connais ce restaurant ? Oui, je connais le.
✓Tu connais ce restaurant ? Oui, je le connais.
The direct object pronoun goes before the conjugated verb, not after it.
✗Cette actrice, je l’ai vu hier.
✓Cette actrice, je l’ai vue hier.
When the direct object comes before avoir, the past participle agrees with it; actrice is feminine, so vue.
✗Je vais le acheter demain.
✓Je vais l’acheter demain.
Le and la become l’ before a vowel sound, including before an infinitive.
Check yourself
1 / 4Tu lis le journal ? Oui, je ___ lis.
2 / 4Marie invite ses cousins. Marie ___ invite.
3 / 4Je ne regarde pas cette émission. Je ne ___ regarde pas.
4 / 4Cette photo, je l’ai ___ hier.
Frequently asked questions
What are the French direct object pronouns?
The main direct object pronouns are me, te, le, la, l’, nous, vous, and les. They replace a person or thing directly affected by the verb: je vois Marie becomes je la vois.
Where do direct object pronouns go in French?
In simple tenses they go before the conjugated verb: je le vois. In the passé composé they go before the auxiliary: je l’ai vu. With a verb plus infinitive, they usually go before the infinitive: je vais le voir.
What is the difference between le and lui?
Le is a direct object pronoun: je le vois. Lui is an indirect object pronoun for à + person: je lui parle. The full choice is covered in the direct vs indirect object pronouns guide.
Do direct object pronouns cause agreement in the passé composé?
Yes. With avoir, when the direct object comes before the past participle, the participle agrees with it: les lettres que j’ai écrites, je les ai écrites. This page gives the basic pattern; advanced cases belong to past participle agreement.
Memory tip
Train the hop out loud: object after the verb in English, object before the verb in French. Je vois le bus becomes je le vois; je prends la clé becomes je la prends.
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