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French object pronouns quiz: le, lui, y or en?

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Ten questions help you choose French object pronouns from the verb and its complement. Practise known objects, recipients, places and quantities.

In short

Start with the French verb and the phrase you are replacing. Regarder la photo gives la; répondre à Nora gives lui; aller au guichet gives y; avoir trois billets gives en and keeps trois. The English word “it” cannot make that choice for you.

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A traveller speaking to a station clerk with several completely blank tickets in hand.
A ticket enquiry gives context to j’en ai trois. Illustration: Atelier
Study first: four different jobs
Starting sentenceShort replyReason
Tu regardes la photo ?Oui, je la regarde.A known feminine direct object.
Tu réponds à Nora ?Oui, je lui réponds.One recipient with répondre à.
Tu vas au guichet ?Oui, j’y vais.A destination.
Tu as trois billets ?Oui, j’en ai trois.A quantity; the number stays.

The verb decides the construction. English has “listen to”, but French has écouter quelqu’un: J’écoute Nora → Je l’écoute. Compare Je téléphone à Nora → Je lui téléphone. Both sentences concern Nora; the verbs call for different pronouns.

When do you use le, lui, y or en?

Replace only the phrase named in each question. Read the whole sentence before choosing. The last three questions move the pronoun into a negative, an infinitive construction and a command.

  1. Question 1No account needed
    Replace la réponse.Je connais la réponse.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je la connais.. La réponse is a known feminine direct object of connaître, so it becomes la.

  2. Question 2No account needed
    Replace à mes collègues.Je réponds à mes collègues.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je leur réponds.. Répondre à quelqu’un uses an indirect-object pronoun. Several recipients give leur.

  3. Question 3No account needed
    Replace au bureau.Je vais au bureau.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    J’y vais.. Y replaces the destination au bureau. En would express an origin with a suitable verb.

  4. Question 4No account needed
    Replace trois messages, keeping the quantity.J’ai trois messages.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    J’en ai trois.. A counted quantity uses en. The number trois remains after the verb.

  5. Question 5No account needed
    Replace les messages de Nora.Je lis les messages de Nora.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je les lis.. These are the identified messages from Nora. The definite object becomes les.

  6. Question 6No account needed
    Replace Nora.J’écoute Nora.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je l’écoute.. French uses écouter quelqu’un, a direct-object construction. La elides before écoute.

  7. Question 7No account needed
    Replace à Nora.Je pense à Nora.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je pense à elle.. With a person, penser à keeps à and a stressed pronoun: à elle.

  8. Question 8No account needed
    Replace Paul and keep the negative.Je ne vois pas Paul.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je ne le vois pas.. The direct pronoun sits between ne and the conjugated verb: ne le vois pas.

  9. Question 9No account needed
    Replace la réponse in this two-verb sentence.Je vais chercher la réponse.

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Je vais la chercher.. La belongs to chercher, so it goes immediately before that infinitive.

  10. Question 10No account needed
    Replace les messages in a positive command.Lis les messages !

    Choose one answer.

    Answer and explanation

    Lis-les !. A positive command puts the direct-object pronoun after the verb, joined by a hyphen.

Choose your next contrast

Use the question you missed
QuestionsPractise this distinction
1, 5 and 6A known object: le, la, l’ or les.
2 and 7A recipient construction versus à + a stressed person pronoun.
3 and 4A place with y versus a quantity with en.
8, 9 and 10The same pronoun in a new sentence frame.

Try one fresh sentence in the same pattern. For example, replace à mon frère in Je téléphone à mon frère, then replace mon frère in Je vois mon frère. Say the full noun phrase again after checking your answer. When single replacements feel clear, the double-pronoun drill combines an object and a recipient.

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