Table of Contents
Here is a simple lesson on French personal pronouns.
There are more personal pronouns in French than there are in English. Their use is quite interesting. Read about their use and do the interactive exercises below.
French Personal Pronouns
French |
English |
Explanation |
Je |
I |
|
Tu |
You |
An informal way of addressing people. You use it when talking to friends, family, or people who are younger than you. |
Il |
He |
|
Elle |
She |
|
On |
We |
This word has no direct equivalent in English. The simplest and the most common use is the English “We”. As a beginner, you may think of it as a less formal way of saying “nous” (“We” in English), and you will be perfectly fine. |
Ce / c’ |
It |
It is used to speak about objects and impersonal things. |
Nous |
We |
|
Vous |
You |
“Vous” is the plural of “tu”. So you use it to speak to more than one person. It is also a formal way of addressing people you don’t know to show some respect and to be polite. |
Ils |
They |
It is the masculine form of “they” when speaking about a group of men or a group of men and women together. |
Elles |
They |
The feminine form of they, that is a group composed of women only. |
Exercises
Thanks for the help! I didn't know "on" was an informal way of saying "we".