Direct Object Pronouns

Direct Object Pronouns

Le, la, les, and l'

DOPs are used to avoid repetition

• Example: Instead of saying "I bought the candy and then I ate the candy" we would say "I bought the candy and then ate IT."

• "Candy" is used only once, and then is replaced by the DOP "it".

Parts of Speech Review

Before we get into the DOPs, it's important to know how to break down a sentence into the parts of speech.

Subject Pronouns

• SPs replace a noun, a person, a thing, or an idea.

• My brother watches TV → He watches TV

• Mon frère regarde la télé → Il regarde la la télé

Verbs

• Verbs are an action expressing a state of being

• My brother watches TV

• Mon frère regarde la télé

Direct Object Pronouns or DOPs

• DOPs are words used to replace the noun that is the object of the sentence

• My brother watches TV

• Mon frère la regarde

• My brother watches it

The DOPs

• je → me (me)

• tu → te (you)

• il → le (him/it)

• elle → la (her/it)

• nous → nous (we)

• vous → vous (you/you all)

• ils/elles → les (them/it)

Multiple Choice

Let's start breaking down some sentences. Which part of the sentence is the verb?

I buy the book

• I

• buy

• the book

Multiple Choice

Let's start breaking down some sentences. Which part of the sentence is the object?

I buy the book

• I

• buy

• the book

Multiple Choice

Let's start breaking down some sentences. Which part of the sentence is the subject?

I buy the book

• I

• buy

• the book

I buy the book → J'achète le livre

• Now we know we need to replace "the book" or "le livre"

• Now we want our sentence to be "I buy it." Notice that the DOP is AFTER the veb in English. In French, the DOP is BEFORE the verb.

• "le livre" is masculine and singular, so we need to use the il DOP

• Je l'achète

• We use l' here because achète starts with a vowel

I watch the girl → Je regarde la fille

• What is our object that needs replaced?

• I watch her.

• "la fille" is feminine and singular, so we need to use the elle DOP

• Je la regarde

He is looking for you → Il cherche pour toi

• What is our object that needs replaced?

• He is looking for me (in this instance "toi" is referring to yourself, so "you" changes to "me")

• "toi" is talking about yourself, so we need to use the je DOP

• Il me cherche

He is looking for me and you → Il cherche moi et toi

• What are our objects that need replaced?

• He is looking for us

• "moi et toi" is talking about yourself and someone else, so we need to use the nous DOP

• Il nous cherche

They are eating the sandwiches → Ils mangent les sandwiches

• What are our objects that need replaced?

• They are eating them

• "les sandwiches" is is plural, so we need to use the ils/elles DOP

• Ils les mangent

Multiple Choice

Pratique:

What is the object of this sentence?

Elle garde les enfants

• elle

• garde

• les enfants

Multiple Choice

Pratique:

What DOP would replace "les enfants"

Elle garde les enfants

• le

• nous

• vous

• les

Multiple Choice

Pratique:

Which of the following is the correct use of the DOP les

Elle garde les enfants

• Les elle garde

• Elle les garde

• Elle garde les

Multiple Choice

Pratique:

Which of the following is the correct translation?

Elle les garde

• She watches them

• She watches it

• She watches us

Multiple Choice

Pratique:

What is the object of this sentence?

Le prof parle à vous

• le prof

• parle

• à vous

Multiple Choice

Pratique:

What DOP would replace "à vous"

Le prof parle à vous

• me

• vous

• nous

• le

DOPs can be tricky

• This takes lots of practice! So don't be discouraged if you don't get it right away.

• Me advice to you: each time you look a a problem break it down into the parts of speech (subject, verb, and object). Once you know your object, you know what you need to replace.

• Use the DOP chart to help you decide which DOP will replace your object.

Multiple Choice

Pratique:

What is the object of this sentence?

Le prof parle à vous

• le prof

• parle

• à vous