In French, the English word "him" can be translated in two main ways: lui (indirect object pronoun) and le (direct object pronoun). This distinction, which doesn't exist in English, is crucial for French learners to master. While English uses "him" for both direct and indirect objects, French requires you to choose between le (when "him" is the direct recipient of an action) and lui (when "him" receives something or when the action is done to/for him).
Him in French: -
le = him (direct object - receives the action directly) -
lui = to/for him (indirect object - receives the action indirectly)
Q: What does "him" mean in French? A: "Him" translates to either "le" or "lui" in French, depending on whether it's a direct object (le) or indirect object (lui). "Le" is used when "him" directly receives the action (I see him = Je le vois), while "lui" is used when "him" indirectly receives the action or when there's an implied "to/for" (I give him the book = Je lui donne le livre).
In this lesson, you'll encounter 15 varied examples showing both uses of "him" in French. The examples progress from simple constructions to more complex sentences, demonstrating different positions of object pronouns in French sentences. You'll learn when to use "le" versus "lui" and how these pronouns interact with different verb tenses.
-
Course Title: French for English Speakers: A Language Journey -
Lesson Number: 65 -
Topic: Object Pronouns - "him" (lui/le) -
Level: Beginner to Intermediate -
Learning Objectives: -
Distinguish between direct and indirect object pronouns -
Correctly place object pronouns in French sentences -
Use "le" and "lui" appropriately in various contexts -
Language Pair: English (L1) → French (L2) -
Lesson Type: Grammar and Vocabulary Integration
-
French distinguishes between direct (le) and indirect (lui) objects, unlike English -
Object pronouns come BEFORE the verb in French (except in affirmative commands) -
"Le" is used when "him" could be replaced by a noun without a preposition -
"Lui" is used when there's an implied "to" or "for" in the meaning -
In compound tenses, object pronouns go before the auxiliary verb
65.1 Je I le him vois see tous all les the jours days
65.2 Marie Marie lui to-him donne gives un a cadeau gift
65.3 Nous we l' him avons have invité invited à to dîner dinner
65.4 Le the professeur teacher lui to-him explique explains la the leçon lesson
65.5 Elle she le him cherche looks-for partout everywhere
65.6 Les the enfants children lui to-him obéissent obey toujours always
65.7 Tu you peux can le him voir see demain tomorrow
65.8 Sa his mère mother lui to-him téléphone telephones chaque each soir evening
65.9 Pourquoi why l' him as-tu have-you attendu waited-for?
65.10 Je I lui to-him ai have parlé spoken de about toi you
65.11 Le him voilà there-is qui who arrive arrives!
65.12 Elle she ne not lui to-him fait makes pas not confiance trust
65.13 Quand when le him reverras-tu will-see-again-you?
65.14 Ses his amis friends lui to-him ont have offert offered une a montre watch
65.15 Il he faut must le him prévenir warn immédiatement immediately
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
65.1 Je le vois tous les jours. I see him every day.
65.2 Marie lui donne un cadeau. Marie gives him a gift.
65.3 Nous l'avons invité à dîner. We invited him to dinner.
65.4 Le professeur lui explique la leçon. The teacher explains the lesson to him.
65.5 Elle le cherche partout. She's looking for him everywhere.
65.6 Les enfants lui obéissent toujours. The children always obey him.
65.7 Tu peux le voir demain. You can see him tomorrow.
65.8 Sa mère lui téléphone chaque soir. His mother calls him every evening.
65.9 Pourquoi l'as-tu attendu? Why did you wait for him?
65.10 Je lui ai parlé de toi. I spoke to him about you.
65.11 Le voilà qui arrive! There he is arriving!
65.12 Elle ne lui fait pas confiance. She doesn't trust him.
65.13 Quand le reverras-tu? When will you see him again?
65.14 Ses amis lui ont offert une montre. His friends gave him a watch.
65.15 Il faut le prévenir immédiatement. We must warn him immediately.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
65.1 Je le vois tous les jours.
65.2 Marie lui donne un cadeau.
65.3 Nous l'avons invité à dîner.
65.4 Le professeur lui explique la leçon.
65.5 Elle le cherche partout.
65.6 Les enfants lui obéissent toujours.
65.7 Tu peux le voir demain.
65.8 Sa mère lui téléphone chaque soir.
65.9 Pourquoi l'as-tu attendu?
65.10 Je lui ai parlé de toi.
65.11 Le voilà qui arrive!
65.12 Elle ne lui fait pas confiance.
65.13 Quand le reverras-tu?
65.14 Ses amis lui ont offert une montre.
65.15 Il faut le prévenir immédiatement.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
The English pronoun "him" corresponds to two different pronouns in French: le (direct object) and lui (indirect object). This distinction is crucial and often challenging for English speakers.
Use le when "him" is the direct recipient of the action: -
Je vois Jean → Je le vois (I see John → I see him) -
Elle aime Pierre → Elle l'aime (She loves Pierre → She loves him)
Before a vowel or silent h, le becomes l': -
J'attends Pierre → Je l'attends (I'm waiting for Pierre → I'm waiting for him)
Use lui when there's an implied "to" or "for" in the meaning: -
Je parle à Jean → Je lui parle (I speak to John → I speak to him) -
Elle écrit à Pierre → Elle lui écrit (She writes to Pierre → She writes to him)
-
Using "lui" for direct objects: -
WRONG: Je lui vois (attempting to say "I see him") -
CORRECT: Je le vois -
Using "le" for indirect objects: -
WRONG: Je le parle (attempting to say "I speak to him") -
CORRECT: Je lui parle -
Incorrect placement: -
WRONG: Je vois le -
CORRECT: Je le vois -
Forgetting elision: -
WRONG: Je le attends -
CORRECT: Je l'attends
-
Identify the verb: What action is being performed? -
Ask "what/whom?": If the answer is "him" with no preposition, use le -
Ask "to/for whom?": If the answer is "to/for him", use lui -
Check for common verbs: -
Verbs that take le: voir (see), aimer (love), connaître (know), attendre (wait for) -
Verbs that take lui: parler à (speak to), donner à (give to), téléphoner à (call), écrire à (write to)
-
Simple tenses: Pronoun goes BEFORE the conjugated verb -
Je le vois (I see him) -
Je lui parle (I speak to him) -
Compound tenses: Pronoun goes BEFORE the auxiliary verb -
Je l'ai vu (I saw him) -
Je lui ai parlé (I spoke to him) -
With infinitives: Usually before the infinitive -
Je veux le voir (I want to see him) -
Je dois lui parler (I must speak to him) -
Negative sentences: ne + pronoun + verb + pas -
Je ne le vois pas (I don't see him) -
Je ne lui parle pas (I don't speak to him) -
Questions with inversion: pronoun stays before verb -
Le vois-tu? (Do you see him?) -
Lui parles-tu? (Do you speak to him?)
Direct Object (le): -
Masculine singular: le (l' before vowel/h) -
Means: him (as direct object) -
Example verbs: voir, regarder, aimer, chercher, attendre
Indirect Object (lui): -
Masculine/feminine singular: lui -
Means: to him, for him -
Example verbs: parler à, donner à, téléphoner à, écrire à, obéir à
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
The distinction between le and lui reflects a fundamental difference in how French and English conceptualize grammatical relationships. While English relies on word order and prepositions, French encodes these relationships directly into the pronouns themselves.
In French culture, correct pronoun usage is considered a mark of education and linguistic competence. Native speakers make these distinctions automatically, but they're particularly attentive to proper usage in formal contexts like business correspondence, academic writing, and professional settings.
French maintains distinctions that English has lost over centuries. Just as French distinguishes between "tu" and "vous" for "you," it also maintains the direct/indirect object distinction that existed in Old English but has since disappeared. This precision in language reflects French cultural values of clarity, logic, and proper form.
Many everyday French expressions use these pronouns in ways that might surprise English speakers: -
"Ça lui va bien" (It suits him well) - using lui because "aller à" takes an indirect object -
"Je le connais" (I know him) - using le because connaître takes a direct object -
"Dis-lui bonjour" (Say hello to him) - using lui because dire à takes an indirect object
While standard French maintains this distinction strictly, some regional dialects and informal speech may show variation. However, in educational contexts and media, the standard distinction is always maintained. French speakers from different francophone regions (France, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec, Africa) all recognize and use this distinction, though pronunciation may vary.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
From "Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (1943):
"S'il vous plaît... dessine-moi un mouton!" Alors j'ai dessiné. Il regarda attentivement, puis: "Non! Celui-là est déjà très malade. Fais-en un autre." Je dessinai. Mon ami sourit gentiment, avec indulgence: "Tu vois bien... ce n'est pas un mouton, c'est un bélier. Il a des cornes..." Je refis donc encore mon dessin. Mais il fut refusé, comme les précédents.
S'il if-it vous you plaît pleases... dessine draw -moi -for-me un a mouton sheep!" Alors then j' I ai have dessiné drawn. Il he regarda looked attentivement attentively, puis then: "Non no! Celui-là that-one est is déjà already très very malade sick. Fais make -en of-it un one autre other." Je I dessinai drew. Mon my ami friend sourit smiled gentiment gently, avec with indulgence indulgence: "Tu you vois see bien well... ce this n' not est is pas not un a mouton sheep, c' it est is un a bélier ram. Il it a has des some cornes horns..." Je I refis redid donc therefore encore again mon my dessin drawing. Mais but il it fut was refusé refused, comme like les the précédents previous-ones.
"S'il vous plaît... dessine-moi un mouton!" Alors j'ai dessiné. Il regarda attentivement, puis: "Non! Celui-là est déjà très malade. Fais-en un autre." Je dessinai. Mon ami sourit gentiment, avec indulgence: "Tu vois bien... ce n'est pas un mouton, c'est un bélier. Il a des cornes..." Je refis donc encore mon dessin. Mais il fut refusé, comme les précédents.
"Please... draw me a sheep!" So I drew. He looked carefully, then: "No! That one is already very sick. Make another one." I drew. My friend smiled gently, with indulgence: "You see well... it's not a sheep, it's a ram. It has horns..." So I redid my drawing again. But it was refused, like the previous ones.
"S'il vous plaît... dessine-moi un mouton!" Alors j'ai dessiné. Il regarda attentivement, puis: "Non! Celui-là est déjà très malade. Fais-en un autre." Je dessinai. Mon ami sourit gentiment, avec indulgence: "Tu vois bien... ce n'est pas un mouton, c'est un bélier. Il a des cornes..." Je refis donc encore mon dessin. Mais il fut refusé, comme les précédents.
This passage beautifully illustrates pronoun usage in context. Note how Saint-Exupéry uses pronouns to avoid repetition: -
"Il regarda" - Here "il" refers to the little prince, showing standard subject pronoun usage. -
"Fais-en un autre" - The pronoun "en" replaces "un mouton" (of it/of them), showing how French uses different pronouns for different functions. -
"il fut refusé" - Here "il" refers to "mon dessin" (my drawing), demonstrating that "il" can refer to masculine nouns, not just people.
The passage also shows the difference between: -
Subject pronouns (il, je) -
Object pronouns (though not "le/lui" specifically in this excerpt) -
The pronoun "en" (replacing "de + noun")
This excerpt demonstrates natural French prose with its characteristic flow and pronoun usage, showing how pronouns create cohesion in French narrative.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
65.16 Monsieur Mr. Dupont Dupont, nous we devons must le him contacter contact avant before la the réunion meeting
65.17 La the directrice director lui to-him a has envoyé sent le the rapport report financier financial
65.18 Pouvez-vous can-you lui to-him transmettre transmit ce this message message urgent urgent?
65.19 Je I l' him ai have mis put en in copie copy du of-the courriel email
65.20 Le the client client souhaite wishes le him rencontrer to-meet personnellement personally
65.21 Nous we lui to-him proposons propose un a rendez-vous appointment mardi Tuesday prochain next
65.22 Il it faudrait would-be-necessary le him rappeler to-call-back concernant concerning le the contrat contract
65.23 Son his assistant assistant lui to-him a has réservé reserved un a vol flight pour for Paris Paris
65.24 L' him avez-vous have-you informé informed des of-the changements changes de of planning schedule?
65.25 Le the département department marketing marketing lui to-him présente presents la the nouvelle new stratégie strategy
65.26 Je I le him recommande recommend vivement highly pour for ce this poste position
65.27 Pourriez-vous could-you lui to-him faire make parvenir reach les the documents documents signés signed?
65.28 Nous we l' him attendons await à at la the conférence conference annuelle annual
65.29 Le the conseil board lui to-him accorde grants sa its pleine full confiance confidence
65.30 Il it est is essentiel essential de to le him tenir keep informé informed des of-the développements developments
65.16 Monsieur Dupont, nous devons le contacter avant la réunion. Mr. Dupont, we must contact him before the meeting.
65.17 La directrice lui a envoyé le rapport financier. The director sent him the financial report.
65.18 Pouvez-vous lui transmettre ce message urgent? Can you transmit this urgent message to him?
65.19 Je l'ai mis en copie du courriel. I put him in copy of the email.
65.20 Le client souhaite le rencontrer personnellement. The client wishes to meet him personally.
65.21 Nous lui proposons un rendez-vous mardi prochain. We propose an appointment to him next Tuesday.
65.22 Il faudrait le rappeler concernant le contrat. We should call him back concerning the contract.
65.23 Son assistant lui a réservé un vol pour Paris. His assistant reserved a flight to Paris for him.
65.24 L'avez-vous informé des changements de planning? Have you informed him of the schedule changes?
65.25 Le département marketing lui présente la nouvelle stratégie. The marketing department is presenting the new strategy to him.
65.26 Je le recommande vivement pour ce poste. I highly recommend him for this position.
65.27 Pourriez-vous lui faire parvenir les documents signés? Could you send him the signed documents?
65.28 Nous l'attendons à la conférence annuelle. We're expecting him at the annual conference.
65.29 Le conseil lui accorde sa pleine confiance. The board grants him its full confidence.
65.30 Il est essentiel de le tenir informé des développements. It is essential to keep him informed of developments.
65.16 Monsieur Dupont, nous devons le contacter avant la réunion.
65.17 La directrice lui a envoyé le rapport financier.
65.18 Pouvez-vous lui transmettre ce message urgent?
65.19 Je l'ai mis en copie du courriel.
65.20 Le client souhaite le rencontrer personnellement.
65.21 Nous lui proposons un rendez-vous mardi prochain.
65.22 Il faudrait le rappeler concernant le contrat.
65.23 Son assistant lui a réservé un vol pour Paris.
65.24 L'avez-vous informé des changements de planning?
65.25 Le département marketing lui présente la nouvelle stratégie.
65.26 Je le recommande vivement pour ce poste.
65.27 Pourriez-vous lui faire parvenir les documents signés?
65.28 Nous l'attendons à la conférence annuelle.
65.29 Le conseil lui accorde sa pleine confiance.
65.30 Il est essentiel de le tenir informé des développements.
In business French, proper use of object pronouns demonstrates professionalism and linguistic competence. The distinction between le and lui remains crucial in formal communication.
-
contacter (to contact): Nous devons le contacter -
informer (to inform): Je l'ai informé -
recommander (to recommend): Je le recommande -
attendre (to wait for/expect): Nous l'attendons -
inviter (to invite): Nous l'avons invité
-
envoyer à (to send to): Je lui envoie le rapport -
transmettre à (to transmit to): Pouvez-vous lui transmettre? -
proposer à (to propose to): Nous lui proposons -
présenter à (to present to): Ils lui présentent -
accorder à (to grant to): Le conseil lui accorde
In business correspondence, politeness is paramount: -
"Pourriez-vous lui..." (Could you... to him) -
"Pouvez-vous le..." (Can you... him) -
"Il faudrait le/lui..." (It would be necessary to... him)
Special phrases for digital communication: -
"le mettre en copie" (to put him in copy/CC him) -
"lui faire suivre" (to forward to him) -
"le mentionner" (to mention him/@mention)
-
Overuse of names: French uses pronouns more than English in formal writing -
Awkward: J'ai contacté M. Dupont et j'ai dit à M. Dupont... -
Better: J'ai contacté M. Dupont et je lui ai dit... -
Wrong pronoun with tenir informé: -
Correct: le tenir informé (keep him informed) -
The expression uses a direct object despite the English "to" -
Confusion with compound expressions: -
faire parvenir à → lui faire parvenir -
mettre en copie → le mettre en copie
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
This lesson is part of the Latinum Institute's comprehensive language learning series, developed by Evan der Millner BA MA (Cantab. NZ, London), who has been creating online language learning materials since 2006. The course methodology draws from the proven techniques detailed at latinum.substack.com and latinum.org.uk.
The Latinum method emphasizes: -
Granular interlinear glossing for true beginners -
Natural sentence variety to develop real language intuition -
Cultural contextualization to understand not just grammar but usage -
Literary excerpts to encounter authentic language from the start -
Genre-based sections to prepare learners for real-world language use
Self-directed learners benefit from: -
Complete transparency: Every word is glossed in Section A, eliminating guesswork -
Progressive difficulty: From word-by-word analysis to full authentic texts -
Multiple perspectives: Grammar rules, cultural notes, and practical applications -
No assumed knowledge: Each lesson stands alone as a complete learning unit -
Immediate usability: Examples are practical and can be applied immediately
-
For testimonials and reviews, visit: https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk -
Audio materials and extended content available at patreon.com/latinum for paid subscribers -
Comprehensive method explanation at latinum.substack.com
The Latinum Institute's materials have helped thousands of autodidacts master classical and modern languages through systematic, transparent instruction that respects the intelligence of adult learners while providing the support needed for genuine progress.
✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾ ✾ ❦ ✾ ❦ ✾
---