Words like je (I), tu (you), nous (we), and vous (you) will start most of the sentences you create in French to talk about yourself and others. These words are all French subject pronouns, les pronoms personnels sujets, which tell who or what is doing the action in a sentence. They can replace a noun as the subject of a sentence.
These are usually the first type of French pronoun you learn about, and they involve understanding essential grammar concepts like masculine vs. feminine, singular vs. plural, and formal vs. informal. Unlock these foundational ideas and be prepared to learn verb conjugations of all kinds.
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French subject pronouns chart
Subject pronouns in French are part of a group of pronoms personnels (personal pronouns), and as their name suggests, these pronouns function as both:
- le sujet (the subject): the word or group of words that designate who or what is performing the action in a simple sentence
- le pronom (the pronoun): a word that replaces a noun or proper noun in a sentence, often to avoid repetition
| French Subject Pronoun | English Meaning | Use |
| je/j’ | I | first person singular |
| tu | you | second person singular informal |
| il | he | third person singular masculine |
| elle | she | third person singular feminine |
| on | one, people, someone, we | indefinite “we” in casual speech |
| nous | we | first person plural |
| vous | you | second person plural second person singular formal |
| ils | they | third person plural masculine or mixed group |
| elles | they | third person plural exclusively feminine group |
*Other subject pronouns are used in some contemporary contexts in French. Two examples are the gender-neutral forms of “they” in the singular, iel, and in the plural, iels. These are newly included in the popular French dictionary Le Robert, but are not recognized by the Académie Française and some other groups, which note that these subject pronouns are not part of the traditional standard French system. The ongoing discussion involves questions about linguistic change, language preservation, and clarity in communication.
Essential French grammar concepts to know for subject pronoun use
Many French grammar concepts will be similar to English, but you’ll need to know these concepts when learning how to communicate subject pronouns accurately.
- grammatical gender: grammatically masculine or feminine; affects other French parts of speech
- number: singular (one) or plural (more than one)
- register: formal vs. informal (casual/familiar) language
- point of view: first person (the speaker refers to themself), second person (the speaker addresses the listener), and third person (the speaker refers to someone or something else)
Je/j’ (I)
You’ll use je to talk about yourself only, whether you’re a man or a woman. That makes its use first person (your own point of view) and singular (about only one person). Pronounce the “e” in je with a French letter pronunciation “euh”—it rhymes with de (of/from), le (the; masculine singular), and ce (this/that).
- Je m’appelle Marc. = I call myself Marc. (My name is Marc).
- Je suis de New York. = I am from New York.
- Je parle un peu de français. = I speak a little French.
Change je to j’ in front of a vowel
The pronoun je changes to j’ in front of a vowel sound, just like de, le, ce, and other French words. This change, called élision (elision), is grammatically required, and it keeps French sounding smooth and flowing.
- J’étudie tous les jours. = I study every day.
- J’aime la language. = I like the language.
- J’habite ici. = I live here.
- Oui, oui, j’y vais maintenant. = Yes, yes, I‘m going now.
Keep je and j’ lowercase unless it’s the first word of a sentence
Unlike how the English “I” is always capitalized, the word je is only capitalized when required at the beginning of a sentence.
- Est-ce que j’ai besoin d’un billet ? = Do I need a ticket?
- Non, je préfère le chocolat, s’il vous plaît. = No, I prefer chocolate, please.
Tu (you, informal)
When you’re talking to one person in an informal setting, you’ll use the subject pronoun tu. It’s one of two ways to say “you” in French, and it’s going to be most common for asking questions to friends, family, children, and peers.
- Comment t’appelles-tu ? = How do you call yourself? (What is your name)
- Tu veux dîner ensemble ? = Do you want to have dinner together?
- Est-ce que tu chantes bien ? = Do you sing well?
Changing tu to t’ isn’t standard, but it is common
Unlike je, there is no élision with the word tu in front of vowel sounds in standard French writing or speaking. That said, in everyday speech and writing, you’ll see French speakers use the contraction. Think of it like how English speakers say “gonna” instead of “going to.” It may not be standard, but it’s very common.
- Tu aimes le foot ? = Do you like soccer? (standard)
- T’aimes l’foot ? = You like soccer? (casual)
- Tu as besoin d’aide ? = Do you need help? (standard)
- T’as besoin d’aide ? = You need help? (casual)
When to tutoyer
Using tu to address someone in French is called tutoyer. When to use tu vs. vous is an important cultural consideration when speaking French, as using tu in the wrong context could come across as too forward, abrupt, and familiar.
Some situations where French speakers generally use tu would be with:
- close friends
- close family members
- romantic partners
- young children and babies
- pets and animals
- God, in prayer (across many religious traditions)
When in doubt, use vous instead. As you get to know each other better, the person may give you permission to tutoyer.
Il (he/it)
If the subject of your sentence is a man, a boy, or a singular masculine noun (it), you’ll use il (he). When you want to replace French nouns for things with the word “it,” you’ll use il if the noun is masculine. There is no separate subject pronoun for when the subject is an inanimate object vs. a person.
- Il s’appelle Guy. = He calls himself Guy. (His name is Guy.)
- Il est très beau. = He is very handsome.
- Tu cherches ton crayon ? Il est là. = Are you looking for your pencil? It‘s there.
- Je vais acheter le cahier bleu. Il est joli. = I’m going to buy the blue notebook. It‘s pretty.
Note that, in these examples, “it” is the grammatical subject. If you’re using indirect or direct object pronouns, there are different words for “it.”
The impersonal il
The subject pronoun il is also used in some common impersonal expressions where it won’t refer to any specific person, but translates to “it.” The expression il y a means “there is/there are.” As you learn to express basic French concepts like weather and time, be sure to learn when to use “it” instead of “he.”
- Il neige. = It’s snowing/It snows.
- Il fait froid. = It’s cold.
- Il est huit heures. = It‘s 8:00.
- Il est trop tôt. = It‘s too early.
- Il y a beaucoup de bruit. = There is a lot of noise.
- Il y a trop de gens. = There are too many people.
Other words undergo élision in front of il
While il does not change, other words like que (that) and si (if) will undergo élision in front of il because it’s pronounced with an initial vowel sound.
- Je pense qu’il travaille demain. = I think that he works tomorrow.
- Je vais y aller s’il ne peut pas. = I’m going to go if he can’t.
Elle (she/it)
When you’re talking about a woman, a girl, or a singular feminine noun (it), you’ll use elle (she) as the subject pronoun. When your subject is an inanimate object, use elle when the noun is feminine.
- Elle s’appelle Claire. = She calls herself Claire. (Her name is Claire.)
- Elle est très belle. = She is very beautiful.
- Tu cherches ta valise ? Elle est là. = Are you looking for your suitcase? It‘s there.
- Je vais acheter la robe bleue. Elle est jolie. = I’m going to buy the blue dress. It‘s pretty.
The pronouns il/elle are used for grammatical subjects, but for direct or indirect object pronouns, different words replace French nouns.
Only que undergoes élision in front of elle
It’s required to contract que (that) in front of elle because of the vowel sound.
- Je sais qu’elle est canadienne. = I know that she is Canadian.
But unlike with il, the word si (if) does not require élision with elle.
- Je peux travailler si elle ne peut pas. = I can work if she can’t.
French elle vs. the Spanish él
Attention ! (Careful!). If you’re a Spanish speaker, you’re already used to the Spanish subject pronoun él for “he.” Since it has approximately the same pronunciation as the French elle (she), you’ll want to pay close attention as you’re learning subject pronouns in French.
Nous (we)
You’ll use the subject pronoun nous when talking about a group that you belong to. Nous can refer to any group, whether masculine, feminine, or mixed.
- Nous partons mercredi. = We leave Wednesday.
- Nous terminons le projet aujourd’hui. = We finish the project today.
- Nous visitons le monument à midi. = We visit the monument at noon.
Pronunciation of nous
To follow French pronunciation rules, the ending “s” is typically silent. A feature of French pronunciation called liaison is that when a normally silent ending consonant is followed by a vowel or silent “h,” you will pronounce it connected to the beginning of the next word. This helps the French language to flow.
The “s” in nous will sound like a “z” in these examples.
- Nous avons trois billets. (noo-zah-vohn) = We have three tickets.
- Nous aimons ce restaurant. (noo-zeh-mohn) = We like this restaurant.
Vous (you/you all)
The subject pronoun vous is the other way to say “you” in French, and it’s reserved for speaking to any group of more than one person or speaking to one person using more formal language.
Always use vous for the plural “you”
It doesn’t matter whether the situation calls for formal or informal speech, or if the group is masculine, feminine, or mixed. If you’re talking about a group of people as “you,” you’ll use vous.
- Si vous travaillez demain, vous pouvez partir maintenant. = If you work tomorrow, you can leave now.
- Est-ce que vous visitez le musée cet après-midi ? = Do you visit the museum this afternoon?
When to vouvoyer
When speaking to one person at a time, unless you feel socially close enough to the person to use tu, opt for vous. Certainly use vous with strangers, in professional settings, and when addressing someone in a position of authority. The act of addressing someone with vous is called vouvoyer.
- Je voulais savoir si vous pouviez m’aider. = I wanted to know if you could help me.
- Elle m’a dit que vous avez le numéro de réservation. = She told me that you have the reservation number.
Pronunciation of vous
Like nous, the final “s” is often silent in vous. But the final “s” is pronounced in front of a vowel or silent “h,” where it sounds like “z.”
- Vous avez quinze minutes pour aller aux toilettes. (voo-zah-vay) = You have fifteen minutes to use the bathroom.
- Aujourd’hui, vous allez découvrir les résultats de notre enquête. (voo-zah-lay) = Today you are going to discover the results of our survey.
Ils/elles (they)
Both ils and elles mean “they” in English and are used to talk about a group of people (plural “they”). There are two forms depending on the gender of the group members.
| Group Makeup | French “They” |
| exclusively masculine | ils |
| mixed group (masculine and feminine) | ils |
| exclusively feminine | elles |
The concept of grammatical gender in Standard French will often use the masculine plural as the default inclusive form for any group, so use ils when the group is mixed in gender, or when the gender is unknown. Think of elles as a term specific to groups of women, girls, or grammatically feminine nouns.
- Marc et Guy sont mes cousins. Ils sont créatifs. = Marc and Guy are my cousins. They are creative.
- Marc et Claire sont mariés. Ils habitent à Montréal. = Marc and Claire are married. They live in Montreal.
- Claire et Anne-Marie sont amies. Elles se parlent tous les jours. = Claire and Anne-Marie are friends. They talk to each other every day.
- Les tables sont prêtes. Elles sont très jolies. Les desserts aussi. Ils sont délicieux. = The tables are ready. They are very pretty. The desserts, too. They are delicious.
Pronunciation tips for ils/elles
Because both ils and elles begin with a vowel sound and end with a normally silent “s,” you’ll want to pay attention to the surrounding words to pronounce the sentence well.
- Je pense qu’elles ont raison. (el zohn) = I think that they are right.
- Vous savez s’ils aiment les oignons ? (eel zem) = Do you know if they like onions?
You will also have to pay attention to context in spoken French to differentiate between il vs. ils and elle vs elles. Without context, these sentence pairs are pronounced identically.
- Il mange./Ils mangent. (eel mahnj) = They eat.
- Elle travaille./Elles travaillent. (el trah-vay). = They work.
On (we/people/someone/one)
Last but not least on the list of French subject pronouns is the word on in French, which can have several English translations. It’s specifically an indefinite subject pronoun because it doesn’t always refer to a specific person, but rather someone undefined or general. On is common in French proverbs, and French speakers also tend to use on in casual speech in place of nous.
| Meaning of On | French Example | English Meaning |
| someone | On a frappé à la porte. | Someone knocked on the door. |
| People passive construction | Ici on parle français. | Here people speak French. (French is spoken here.) |
| one | On doit respecter l’environnement. | One must respect the environment. |
| we (casual) | On va au magasin. | We‘re going to the shop. |
| you | On ne fait pas d’omelette sans casser des oeufs. | You can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs. |
Using on is increasingly common in place of nous in casual speech, so among friends or in text messages, you should absolutely feel comfortable saying it. In writing or in formal settings like business meetings, default to nous while you get a sense of what is expected.
Using French subject pronouns
French subject pronouns are the foundation for learning to create your own sentences and move from the beginner to intermediate level of French. You’ll need to know where to place them in all kinds of sentences and how they interact with verbs in different French verb tenses and conjugations.
Word order of subject pronouns in French
The subject pronoun is not always the first word of the French sentence. Though it often comes directly in front of the verb, that’s not always the case.
- French questions can be formed with inversion, which hyphenates and places the subject after the verb. In compound tenses, it is attached to the helping verb.
- Veux-tu regarder ce film ? = Do you want to watch this movie?
- Pourquoi va-t-il à l’école aujourd’hui ? = Why is he going to school today?
- Quand es-tu arrivé ? = When did you arrive?
- Negative constructions will put ne between the subject pronoun and the verb.
- Elle ne veut pas célébrer. = She doesn’t want to celebrate.
- Ils ne mangent pas de viande. = They don’t eat meat.
- Introductory phrases can come before the subject pronoun.
- Pendant deux mois, nous n’avons pas mangé de beurre. = For two months, we haven’t eaten butter.
- In complex sentences made of two or more clauses, there can be two different subject pronouns.
- Elle ne veut pas étudier avec moi parce que je suis trop exigeante. = She doesn’t want to study with me because I am too demanding.
When can you omit the subject pronoun in French?
In Spanish, the subject pronoun is often omitted if the subject is known, but in English and in French, the subject pronoun isn’t optional. It must follow rules about when to include it.
Include the subject pronoun in both the indicative and subjunctive moods.
- Tu vas nettoyer la chambre. = You‘re going to clean your room. (indicative)
- Il faut que tu nettoies la chambre. = It’s necessary that you clean your room. (subjunctive)
Like English, omit the subject pronoun in the imperative mood (or command form).
- Nettoie la chambre ! = Clean your room!
- “You” is the omitted subject pronoun.
Likewise, in written instructions or fixed expressions where the infinitive is used in place of the command form, the subject is implied, and no pronoun is necessary.
- Ne pas déranger. = Do not disturb.
- Prière de ne pas fumer. = Please don’t smoke./Request to refrain from smoking.
- Ajouter du sucre. = Add sugar.
If you’ve already used a subject pronoun with one verb in a series, you can omit the subject pronouns in front of subsequent verbs. This gives each verb in the series a sense of more or less equal importance.
- Silvie est creative. Elle danse, chante, dessine, peint, écrit, et sculpte. = Silvie is creative. She dances, sings, draws, paints, writes, and sculpts.
Subject pronouns are the basis of French verb charts
Because some pronouns share a verb form, you’ll often see French verb conjugations listed in charts that use this order. The pronouns il, elle, and on share a verb form. So do ils and elles.
avoir – to have
| Subject Pronoun | Present Tense (have/has) |
| je, j’ I | ai |
| tu you, informal | as |
| il, elle, on he, she, one/people/we | a |
| nous we | avons |
| vous you, formal | avez |
| ils, elles they | ont |
Key takeaways about French subject pronouns
You’ll need French subject pronouns to master verb conjugation and many French grammar concepts.
- The first person subject pronouns je (I) and nous (we) refer to yourself or a group you are a part of.
- The second person subject pronouns tu and vous both mean “you,” but tu is for talking to one person in an informal register, and vous is for the formal singular or any plural “you.”
- The third person subject pronouns il (he) and elle (she) can also be used in place of “it” for objects. The plural ils (they) is for masculine or mixed groups, and elles (they) is used when the group is exclusively feminine.
- The subject pronoun on shares verb conjugations with il/elle and can mean “we,” “someone,” or “people, generally.”
- The subject pronoun can replace a name or specific noun to tell who or what is doing an action in a sentence. A subject is essential to form a complete thought in French.
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