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Course: French English Spanish Greek
Explanations in: Greek English Spanish French
A1

Subject pronouns: je, tu, il, elle, on…

Two words for «you», no word for «it», and the very common «on».

FrenchEnglish
je (j')I
tuyou (one person, informal)
il / ellehe, it / she, it
onone, people, «we» (informal)
nouswe
vousyou (formal, or more than one person)
ils / ellesthey (masculine or mixed / feminine only)

Note that je is not capitalised, unlike English «I».

There is no «it»

Every French noun is masculine or feminine, so «it» is il or elle depending on the noun:

  • Le livre ? Il est sur la table.
    The book? It's on the table.
  • La voiture ? Elle est rouge.
    The car? It's red.

Tu or vous?

English lost its informal «thou» centuries ago; French still makes the distinction. Use tu with friends, family, children and pets. Use vous with strangers, older people, at work and whenever you speak to more than one person.

Ils or elles?

Elles is only for groups that are entirely feminine. As soon as one masculine person or noun is in the group, use ils.

  • Marie et Paul ? Ils sont à Paris.
    Marie and Paul? They're in Paris.

On

In everyday speech on almost always replaces nous. It takes the 3rd person singular verb form.

  • On va au cinéma ce soir ?
    Shall we go to the cinema tonight?
  • En France, on mange tard.
    In France, people eat late.

Test yourself

  1. Which pronoun replaces «la maison»?
    Show answer
    elle
  2. Which pronoun replaces «Anna, Sophie et Marc»?
    Show answer
    ils
  3. Tu or vous: speaking to your new boss?
    Show answer
    vous
  4. Translate informally: «Shall we go?»
    Show answer
    On y va ?