Indirect Object Pronouns in French: Lui, Leur, and More
Indirect object pronouns are essential for speaking natural French. They allow you to replace a person introduced by à, avoiding repetition and making sentences shorter and more fluid.
The most important forms to master are lui and leur, but French also uses me, te, nous, and vous as indirect object pronouns. Once you understand the relationship between a verb and à, choosing the right pronoun becomes much easier.
At the Institut de Français, learners practice these structures through an immersive approach, using them in conversations and everyday situations rather than studying grammar only as an abstract rule.
Understanding Indirect Objects in French
The role of à in an indirect object
An indirect object is commonly introduced by the preposition à when the object is a person.
For example:
Je parle à Marie.
I speak to Marie.
Il téléphone à son frère.
He calls his brother.
Nous écrivons à nos amis.
We write to our friends.
When the person is replaced by an indirect object pronoun, à + person disappears and the appropriate pronoun takes its place:
Je lui parle.
I speak to her.
Il lui téléphone.
He calls him.
Nous leur écrivons.
We write to them.
The pronoun normally appears before the conjugated verb.
Subject + indirect object pronoun + verb
For example: Je lui parle. Nous leur écrivons.
However, not every phrase containing à is an indirect object. The verb itself determines whether à introduces an indirect object, so learning common verb patterns is important.
Direct object or indirect object: how to tell
The easiest way to distinguish the two is to look at the construction of the verb.
A direct object follows the verb without à:
Je regarde Marie.
→ Je la regarde.
Il connaît Paul.
→ Il le connaît.
An indirect object is introduced by à:
Je parle à Marie.
→ Je lui parle.
Il téléphone à Paul.
→ Il lui téléphone.
Compare these two sentences:
| French sentence | Pronoun | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je regarde Marie. | Je la regarde. | I watch her. |
| Je parle à Marie. | Je lui parle. | I speak to her. |
| Je connais Paul. | Je le connais. | I know him. |
| J'écris à Paul. | Je lui écris. | I write to him. |
The difference is small but fundamental: le, la, les generally replace direct objects, while lui, leur replace people introduced by à.
French Indirect Object Pronouns Explained
Me, te, lui, nous, vous, and leur
French uses several pronouns to represent an indirect object. The correct choice depends on the person and number involved.
| French pronoun | English meaning | French example | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| me / m' | to me | Il me parle. | muh / m' |
| te / t' | to you | Je te réponds. | tuh / t' |
| lui | to him / to her | Je lui parle. | lwee |
| nous | to us | Elle nous écrit. | noo |
| vous | to you | Je vous réponds. | voo |
| leur | to them | Nous leur parlons. | luhr |
Before a vowel or a silent h, me and te become m' and t':
Il m'écrit.
He writes to me.
Je t'écoute.
I listen to you.
Unlike lui and leur, these pronouns can also function as direct object pronouns depending on the verb:
Il me voit.
He sees me. Direct object
Il me parle.
He speaks to me. Indirect object
This is why you should learn the construction of the verb rather than memorize the pronoun alone.
Singular and plural forms
The most important distinction with lui and leur is number.
Lui is used for one person:
Je lui parle.
I speak to him/her.
Nous lui écrivons.
We write to him/her.
Leur is used for more than one person:
Je leur parle.
I speak to them.
Nous leur écrivons.
We write to them.
Importantly, the indirect object pronoun leur does not take an -s. It remains leur, whether the people are male, female, or a mixed group.
For example: Je leur parle. — I speak to them. Elle leur téléphone. — She calls them.
What lui and leur mean in English
Lui can mean "to him" or "to her", depending on the context.
Je lui donne un livre.
I give him a book.
Je lui donne une fleur.
I give her a flower.
Leur means "to them."
Je leur donne un livre.
I give them a book.
Nous leur expliquons la situation.
We explain the situation to them.
French does not distinguish masculine and feminine with lui or leur in these constructions.
The Key Difference Between Lui and Leur
When to use lui
Use lui when the indirect object refers to one person.
Je parle à Sophie.
→ Je lui parle.
Tu réponds à Marc.
→ Tu lui réponds.
Elle écrit à son professeur.
→ Elle lui écrit.
The person can be male or female: lui = to him / to her
When to use leur
Use leur when the indirect object refers to two or more people.
Je parle à Sophie et Marc.
→ Je leur parle.
Tu réponds à tes parents.
→ Tu leur réponds.
Elle écrit à ses amis.
→ Elle leur écrit.
Leur = to them
A useful memory trick is: One person → lui Several people → leur
Examples with one or several people
Look at how the number of people changes the pronoun:
| Original sentence | Pronoun sentence | English |
|---|---|---|
| Je parle à Paul. | Je lui parle. | I speak to him. |
| Je parle à Julie. | Je lui parle. | I speak to her. |
| Je parle à Paul et Julie. | Je leur parle. | I speak to them. |
| Nous écrivons à notre professeur. | Nous lui écrivons. | We write to him/her. |
| Nous écrivons à nos professeurs. | Nous leur écrivons. | We write to them. |
This distinction is one of the most useful rules to practice when learning French.
French Verbs That Take an Indirect Object
Common verbs followed by à
Many high-frequency French verbs are followed by à + person. These are particularly useful to memorize as complete expressions.
| French verb | English | Example | Pronunciation |
|---|---|---|---|
| parler à | to speak to | Je lui parle. | par-lay ah |
| répondre à | to answer | Je lui réponds. | ray-pondr ah |
| donner à | to give to | Je lui donne le livre. | doh-nay ah |
| écrire à | to write to | Je leur écris. | ay-kreer ah |
| téléphoner à | to call | Je lui téléphone. | tay-lay-foh-nay ah |
| demander à | to ask | Je lui demande. | duh-mahn-day ah |
| expliquer à | to explain to | Je leur explique. | ex-plee-kay ah |
| envoyer à | to send to | Je lui envoie un message. | ahn-vwah-yay ah |
Learning the verb together with à can help you immediately recognize when an indirect object pronoun is required.
Parler à, répondre à, donner à, and écrire à
These four verbs are especially useful for beginners.
Parler à
Je parle à Marie. → Je lui parle.
Répondre à
Je réponds à Paul. → Je lui réponds.
Donner à
Je donne le livre à Sophie. → Je lui donne le livre.
Écrire à
Nous écrivons à nos amis. → Nous leur écrivons.
Notice that lui and leur replace the person, but they do not replace another direct object.
For example:
Je donne le livre à Paul. → Je lui donne le livre.
Here, lui replaces à Paul, while le livre remains the direct object.
Verbs that can be confusing for English speakers
Some French verb constructions do not match English exactly. This can make indirect objects difficult for learners.
For example:
parler à quelqu'un
to speak to someone
téléphoner à quelqu'un
to call someone
répondre à quelqu'un
to answer someone
obéir à quelqu'un
to obey someone
English may not always use the word to, but French grammar still treats the person as an indirect object.
Compare:
Je téléphone à Marie. → Je lui téléphone.
Even though English says "I call Marie" rather than "I call to Marie," French uses téléphoner à.
The best way to master these differences is to learn the French verb pattern directly instead of translating word for word from English.
Putting Indirect Object Pronouns Into Sentences
Position before the verb
In a simple sentence, the indirect object pronoun comes before the conjugated verb.
Je lui parle.
I speak to him/her.
Tu leur réponds.
You answer them.
Il nous téléphone.
He calls us.
Elle vous écrit.
She writes to you.
The basic pattern is:
Subject + indirect object pronoun + verb
Je + lui + parle
Nous + leur + écrivons
Vous + lui + répondez
Indirect object pronouns with two verbs
When there are two verbs, the pronoun is generally placed directly before the infinitive when that infinitive is the verb associated with the indirect object.
Je vais lui parler.
Je vais parler à Marie.
Nous voulons lui répondre.
Nous voulons répondre à Paul.
Elle va leur écrire.
Elle va écrire à ses parents.
Ils doivent leur téléphoner.
Ils doivent téléphoner à leurs amis.
This pattern is very common with verbs such as vouloir, pouvoir, devoir, aller, and aimer followed by an infinitive.
A useful structure to remember is: Conjugated verb + indirect object pronoun + infinitive
For example: Je veux lui parler. Nous allons leur écrire.
Negative sentences and questions
The indirect object pronoun stays before the verb in a negative sentence.
Je ne lui parle pas.
Je lui parle.
Nous ne leur écrivons pas.
Nous leur écrivons.
Elle ne lui répond pas.
Elle lui répond.
In questions, the pronoun remains close to the verb:
Est-ce que tu lui parles ?
Do you speak to him/her?
Est-ce que vous leur écrivez ?
Do you write to them?
Tu lui réponds ?
Are you answering him/her?
This makes indirect object pronouns relatively predictable once the basic word order is familiar.
Indirect Object Pronouns Across French Tenses
Present and imperfect examples
The same pronouns are used in the present and imperfect. Their position remains before the conjugated verb.
Present
Je lui parle. — I speak to him/her. Nous leur écrivons. — We write to them. Elle me téléphone. — She calls me.
Imperfect
Je lui parlais. — I used to speak to him/her. Nous leur écrivions. — We used to write to them. Elle me téléphonait. — She used to call me.
The important point is that the pronoun does not change. The verb tense changes, while the indirect object pronoun stays in the same position.
Using lui and leur in the passé composé
With the passé composé, the indirect object pronoun comes before the auxiliary verb.
Subject + pronoun + avoir/être + past participle
Je lui ai parlé.
J'ai parlé à Marie.
Nous leur avons écrit.
Nous avons écrit à nos parents.
Il lui a répondu.
Il a répondu à Paul.
Elle leur a téléphoné.
Elle a téléphoné à ses amis.
An important point is that lui and leur do not trigger past participle agreement merely because they come before the verb. They represent an indirect object.
For example:
Je leur ai parlé. The past participle parlé does not change because leur is indirect.
Compare this with a direct object pronoun: Je les ai vus. Here, les is a direct object pronoun, so the past participle can agree with the object it represents.
Pronouns with the infinitive
When the indirect object belongs to an infinitive, place the pronoun before that infinitive:
Je veux lui parler.
Je veux parler à Marie.
Nous allons leur écrire.
Nous allons écrire à nos amis.
Elle préfère lui répondre.
Elle préfère répondre à Paul.
Ils vont leur téléphoner.
Ils vont téléphoner à leurs parents.
This is an especially useful structure for conversation because French speakers use combinations of conjugated verbs and infinitives constantly.
Direct vs. Indirect Object Pronouns: Quick Comparison
Le, la, les vs. lui, leur
The easiest way to compare the two systems is to look at the original sentence.
| Direct object | Indirect object |
|---|---|
| Je regarde Paul. Je le regarde. I watch him. | Je parle à Paul. Je lui parle. I speak to him. |
| Je regarde Sophie. Je la regarde. I watch her. | J'écris à Sophie. Je lui écris. I write to her. |
| Je regarde mes amis. Je les regarde. I watch them. | Je parle à mes amis. Je leur parle. I speak to them. |
The central question is:
Does the verb take the person directly, or does it use à?
Direct object
regarder quelqu'un → le / la / les connaître quelqu'un → le / la / les
Indirect object
parler à quelqu'un → lui / leur écrire à quelqu'un → lui / leur répondre à quelqu'un → lui / leur
How to choose the right pronoun
Use this simple process when you are unsure:
Step 1
Identify the verb. Ask how the verb is constructed in French.
Step 2
Identify the person the verb refers to. Is it one person or several people?
Step 3
Look for à. If the construction is à + one person, use lui. If it is à + several people, use leur.
Step 4
Check whether the object is direct instead. If there is no à and the verb takes the person directly, you may need le, la, or les instead.
For example:
Je connais Marie.
→ Je la connais.
Je parle à Marie.
→ Je lui parle.
Je connais mes voisins.
→ Je les connais.
Je parle à mes voisins.
→ Je leur parle.
The fastest way to become comfortable with these pronouns is to practice complete phrases rather than individual words. Instead of memorizing lui = him/her, learn useful patterns such as je lui parle, je lui réponds, and je lui écris.
With regular exposure, these structures become automatic. Through immersive French practice at Institut de Français, learners can hear and use lui, leur, me, te, nous, and vous in authentic conversations, helping grammar become a natural part of communication rather than a rule you have to translate mentally.
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