French Object Pronouns (COD & COI): A Simple Guide

pronom complément
cod
coi
Author

Kunal Khurana

Published

March 31, 2025

1. What is an Object Pronoun?

An object pronoun replaces a noun to avoid repetition. In French, there are two main types:

  • Direct Object Pronouns (COD)
  • Indirect Object Pronouns (COI)

2. Direct Object Pronouns (COD)

How to Recognize Them

Ask “who?” or “what?” after the verb to find the COD.
Example: I eat [what?] the cheese. → “the cheese” is the COD.

Pronoun Forms

The pronoun agrees in gender/number with the noun it replaces:

Masculine Feminine Plural
le / l’ (before vowel) la / l’ (before vowel) les

Examples:

  • I eat the cheese. → Je le mange. (masculine singular)
  • I love the soup. → Je l’aime. (feminine singular, elision before vowel)
  • She adores movies. → Elle les adore. (plural)

⚠️ Note:

With verbs like aimer (to love), adorer (to adore), or détester (to hate), we often use “ça” in spoken French:
- J’aime la soupe. → J’aime ça.

Placement Rules

  • Simple tenses (present, future…): before the verb.

    I read the book. → Je le lis.

  • Compound tenses (passé composé…): before the auxiliary verb.

    I saw the film. → Je l’ai vu.

  • Verb + infinitive: before the infinitive.

    I want to eat the cake. → Je veux le manger.

  • Affirmative imperative: after the verb (with a hyphen).

    Watch TV! → Regarde-la !

  • Negative imperative: before the verb.

    Don’t watch TV! → Ne la regarde pas !

3. Indirect Object Pronouns (COI)

How to Recognize Them

Ask “to whom?” or “to what?”. COIs are often introduced by “à”.
Example: I talk to my friend. → “to my friend” is the COI.

Pronoun Forms

Singular Plural
me/m’ (me) nous (us)
te/t’ (you) vous (you)
lui (him/her) leur (them)

Examples:

  • He calls me. → Il me téléphone.
  • She writes to her brother. → Elle lui écrit.
  • They speak to their parents. → Ils leur parlent.

Placement Rules

Same as COD pronouns:

  • Simple tenses: before the verb.
    I talk to Paul. → Je lui parle.

  • Compound tenses: before the auxiliary.
    I wrote to my mom. → Je lui ai écrit.

  • Verb + infinitive: before the infinitive.
    I want to call my friends. → Je veux leur téléphoner.

  • Affirmative imperative: after the verb.
    Talk to your teacher! → Parle-lui !

  • Negative imperative: before the verb.
    Don’t talk to your teacher! → Ne lui parle pas !

⚠️ Key Difference:
COI pronouns never take an “s” (e.g., “leur” is always leur, even for plural).

4. COD vs. COI Summary

Pronoun Question Example Replacement
COD who? / what? Je mange le gâteau. Je le mange.
COI to whom? / to what? Je parle à Luc. Je lui parle.

5. Final Tips

  • Practice: Replace nouns in sentences with pronouns.
  • Listen: Pay attention to pronouns in French conversations or media.

Corrected Example:

  • “I’m going to the market to eat the cheese. It tastes good, and everyone loves it.”
    → Je vais au marché pour manger le fromage. Il est bon, et tout le monde l’aime.

For details, you may refer to this pdf.