Sentence builder
French cousin introductions: keep il and elle attached to the right name
Build French cousin introductions with clear il and elle references. Repeat a name when two cousins share a pronoun and combine only unambiguous details.
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In short
Name the cousin before using il or elle. Voici Lina. Elle a vingt ans has one clear feminine reference. If you have just named Lina and Nora, repeat the name for the next individual detail: Nora est étudiante. The pronoun elle alone cannot identify which cousin you mean.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
You are introducing three cousins to a new friend. Lina is twenty and works in a bookshop. Nora is twenty-two and studies history. Sami is twenty-four and is a nurse. Two cousins use elle, so repeating a name at the right moment makes the introduction easier to follow.
| Name | Age | Work or study |
|---|---|---|
| Lina | 20 | Elle travaille dans une librairie. |
| Nora | 22 | Elle étudie l’histoire. |
| Sami | 24 | Il est infirmier. |
Tap the words in the right order. Tap a placed word to send it back.
Introduce Lina as your female cousin.
Continue directly after Voici Lina: give her age.
Name Lina explicitly and give her workplace.
Name Nora explicitly and give her subject of study.
Introduce Sami as your male cousin.
Continue directly after Voici Sami: give his age.
Name Sami explicitly and give his job.
Identify Lina and Nora together as your female cousins.
Combine when the subject stays clear
Voici Sami. Il a vingt-quatre ans et il est infirmier.
This is Sami. He is twenty-four and he is a nurse.
The two il forms both follow Sami, with no new masculine person introduced between them. The sentence can therefore combine his age and job naturally. The verbs still differ: a for age, est for the profession. A clear pronoun reference does not remove the need to choose the right verb for each detail.
Repeat the name after introducing another cousin
Voici Lina et Nora. Nora étudie l’histoire.
This is Lina and Nora. Nora studies history.
The first sentence introduces two women. Repeating Nora in the second selects one of them. Voici Lina et Nora. Elle étudie l’histoire leaves the individual reference unclear without extra context or a gesture. Elles étudient l’histoire would instead describe both women, which does not match the supplied facts about Lina.
Before joining two sentences, ask whether they describe the same person or a new one. Keep il or elle for a stable subject. Repeat the name when you select someone from a pair, and use ils or elles only when the detail really applies to the group.