Les objects pronoms directs Le, La, L’ et Les

What are they?  Object pronouns are words that are used to replace direct object (D.O.) nouns

Le  ‘Le’ is used to replace masculine D.O nouns  Example: Tu veux le livre?  Oui, je le veux. (Do you want the book? Yes, I want it.

La  ‘La’ is used to replace feminine D.O. nouns Example: Tu vois la fille là-bas? Oui, je la vois. (Do you see the girl over there? Yes, I see her.) Note: ‘le’ and ‘la’ become l’ before a vowel or silent h!

Les  ‘Les’ is used to replace plural D.O. nouns  Example: Tu aimes les chiens? Non, je ne les aime pas. (Do you like dogs? No, I don’t like them.)

Placement of pronouns  All pronouns follow the same rules for placement in sentences  The ‘rule’ is that D.O. pronouns go in front of the verb from which it gets the action

Placement Examples  Present tense: Je le vois; Je ne le vois pas.  Conjugated verb + infinitive: Je vais le voir Je ne vais pas le voir (I am going to see him; I am not going to see him.)

D.O. pronouns in the Passé Composé!  In the passé composé (P.C.) D. O. pronouns are placed in front of the conjugated verb  That means that it is placed in front of the helping verb - Avoir or Etre

Un petit problème!  The past participle must now agree in gender and number with the preceding Direct Object pronoun  Add an ‘e’ if the D.O. pronoun is femine  Add an ‘s’ if the D.O. pronoun is plural  Add and ‘es’ if the D.O. pronoun is femine plural

Examples  Agreement with feminine D.O pronouns  Il a lavé sa chemise et il l’a repassée.  (He washed his shirt and ironed it.)

Agreement with feminine plural D.O. pronoun  Les robes? Non, je ne les ai pas prises.  (The dresses? No, I didn’t take them.)

Agreement with masculine plural D.O. pronoun  Il a essayé ces pantalons puis il les a achetés. (He tried on the pants then he bought them.)

Don’t forget ‘nous’ and ‘vous’!  Past participles also agree with ‘nous’ and ‘vous’ when they are behaving as direct object pronouns Example: Il nous a vus au cinéma  (He saw us at the movies.)  Je vous ai entendues!  (I heard you! (fem. Plural)

Agreement with Direct Object nouns!  Yes! The past participle also agrees with the D.O. noun when it precedes the past participle (Comes before it!)

Examples!  Combien de livres as-tu lus?  Quelle robe avez-vous portée?  Voici les cadeaux qu’elle a reçus.  Elle va remplacer les bagues qu’elle a perdues.

One last thing!  If a past participle ends in an ‘s’ there is no need to make agreement with a preceding masculine plural D.O  Il a mis le gant - Il l’a mis  Il a mis les gants – Il les a mis.  But:  La robe qu’elle a mise est belle.