The English word "them" is a third-person plural object pronoun used to refer to people or things previously mentioned. In French, "them" translates to two different pronouns depending on grammatical function: les (direct object) and leur (indirect object). This distinction is crucial for French learners as English uses "them" for both functions.
Definition: "Them" serves as the object form of "they," referring to multiple people, animals, or things that receive the action of a verb.
Q: What does "them" mean in French? A: "Them" translates to "les" when it's a direct object (I see them = Je les vois) and "leur" when it's an indirect object (I give them a book = Je leur donne un livre).
In this lesson, we'll explore how "them" functions in various sentence positions and contexts. You'll learn to distinguish between direct and indirect object usage, understand word order changes in French, and master the placement of object pronouns before verbs.
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Subject: French Language Learning -
Level: Beginner to Intermediate -
Topic: Object Pronouns (les/leur) -
Learning Objective: Master the use of French equivalents for "them" -
Language Pair: English to French
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French distinguishes between direct object "them" (les) and indirect object "them" (leur) -
Object pronouns in French come before the verb, unlike English -
"Les" agrees in number but not gender; "leur" never changes form -
In compound tenses, object pronouns go before the auxiliary verb -
Understanding this distinction is essential for proper French communication
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66.1 I Je see vois them les every chaque morning matin
66.2 She Elle gives donne them leur the les keys clés
66.3 We Nous found avons trouvé them les in dans the le garden jardin
66.4 The Le teacher professeur explains explique to à them leur the la lesson leçon
66.5 He Il calls appelle them les often souvent
66.6 My Ma mother mère sends envoie them leur letters des lettres
66.7 You Tu must dois tell dire them leur the la truth vérité
66.8 The Les children enfants follow suivent them les everywhere partout
66.9 We Nous showed avons montré them leur our notre house maison
66.10 I Je will vais meet rencontrer them les tomorrow demain
66.11 She Elle brought a apporté them leur some des flowers fleurs
66.12 The Le dog chien recognizes reconnaît them les immediately immédiatement
66.13 He Il teaches enseigne them leur French le français
66.14 You Vous can pouvez see voir them les from depuis here ici
66.15 They Ils asked ont demandé them leur many beaucoup de questions questions
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66.1 Je les vois chaque matin. I see them every morning.
66.2 Elle leur donne les clés. She gives them the keys.
66.3 Nous les avons trouvés dans le jardin. We found them in the garden.
66.4 Le professeur leur explique la leçon. The teacher explains the lesson to them.
66.5 Il les appelle souvent. He calls them often.
66.6 Ma mère leur envoie des lettres. My mother sends them letters.
66.7 Tu dois leur dire la vérité. You must tell them the truth.
66.8 Les enfants les suivent partout. The children follow them everywhere.
66.9 Nous leur avons montré notre maison. We showed them our house.
66.10 Je vais les rencontrer demain. I will meet them tomorrow.
66.11 Elle leur a apporté des fleurs. She brought them some flowers.
66.12 Le chien les reconnaît immédiatement. The dog recognizes them immediately.
66.13 Il leur enseigne le français. He teaches them French.
66.14 Vous pouvez les voir depuis ici. You can see them from here.
66.15 Ils leur ont demandé beaucoup de questions. They asked them many questions.
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66.1 Je les vois chaque matin.
66.2 Elle leur donne les clés.
66.3 Nous les avons trouvés dans le jardin.
66.4 Le professeur leur explique la leçon.
66.5 Il les appelle souvent.
66.6 Ma mère leur envoie des lettres.
66.7 Tu dois leur dire la vérité.
66.8 Les enfants les suivent partout.
66.9 Nous leur avons montré notre maison.
66.10 Je vais les rencontrer demain.
66.11 Elle leur a apporté des fleurs.
66.12 Le chien les reconnaît immédiatement.
66.13 Il leur enseigne le français.
66.14 Vous pouvez les voir depuis ici.
66.15 Ils leur ont demandé beaucoup de questions.
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The English pronoun "them" requires careful attention in French because it translates to two different pronouns:
1. LES (Direct Object) Used when "them" directly receives the action of the verb. -
Form: les (invariable for masculine and feminine) -
Position: Before the verb -
Example: I see them = Je les vois
2. LEUR (Indirect Object) Used when "them" is preceded by "to" in English (even if "to" is implied). -
Form: leur (invariable, never adds -s) -
Position: Before the verb -
Example: I speak to them = Je leur parle
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Using "leur" with -s: Students often write "leurs" as an object pronoun. Remember: "leur" as an object pronoun NEVER takes an -s. (Note: "leurs" with -s only exists as a possessive adjective meaning "their") -
Placing pronouns after the verb: English speakers naturally want to say "Je vois les" instead of "Je les vois" -
Confusing direct and indirect objects: Not recognizing when a verb requires an indirect object in French -
Double object pronouns: When using both direct and indirect objects, the order matters: le/la/les comes after me/te/nous/vous but before lui/leur
Step 1: Identify if "them" is a direct or indirect object -
Can you insert "to" before "them" in English? If yes → LEUR -
Is "them" the direct recipient of the action? → LES
Step 2: Check the French verb's requirements -
Some French verbs require indirect objects where English uses direct: -
téléphoner à (to phone someone) → Je leur téléphone -
obéir à (to obey someone) → Les enfants leur obéissent
Step 3: Place the pronoun correctly -
Simple tenses: pronoun + verb (Je les vois) -
Compound tenses: pronoun + auxiliary (Je les ai vus) -
Infinitive constructions: before the infinitive (Je vais les voir)
Direct Object Pronoun LES: -
Replaces plural direct objects -
Invariable form (same for masculine/feminine) -
Agreement required in compound tenses with avoir -
Position: before the conjugated verb
Indirect Object Pronoun LEUR: -
Replaces "à + plural person" -
Never changes form (no -s) -
No past participle agreement -
Position: before the conjugated verb
Word Order Comparisons: -
English: I give them books → Subject + Verb + Indirect Object + Direct Object -
French: Je leur donne des livres → Subject + Indirect Object + Verb + Direct Object
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French pronoun usage reflects the language's precision and its Latin heritage. Unlike English, which simplified its pronoun system over centuries, French maintains distinct forms for different grammatical functions. This distinction between "les" and "leur" demonstrates French's emphasis on grammatical clarity.
In French culture, proper pronoun usage is considered a mark of education and refinement. Native speakers unconsciously make these distinctions, but they appreciate when foreign speakers master this aspect of their language. The placement of pronouns before the verb also reflects French's tendency toward more structured word order compared to English's flexibility.
The French educational system places great emphasis on learning these grammatical distinctions from an early age. French children practice "COD" (complément d'objet direct) and "COI" (complément d'objet indirect) extensively in school, making these concepts fundamental to French linguistic identity.
Interestingly, in spoken French, the pronunciation of "les" can vary regionally and in different phonetic contexts, sometimes sounding more like "lé" before consonants. However, "leur" maintains a consistent pronunciation across all French-speaking regions, helping to maintain the distinction between these two pronouns even in rapid speech.
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From "Le Petit Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:
"Les grandes personnes ne comprennent jamais rien toutes seules, et c'est fatigant, pour les enfants, de toujours et toujours leur donner des explications."
The Les grown-ups grandes personnes never ne...jamais understand comprennent anything rien by toutes themselves seules, and et it is c'est tiring fatigant, for pour the les children enfants, to de always toujours and et always toujours to them leur give donner explanations des explications
"Les grandes personnes ne comprennent jamais rien toutes seules, et c'est fatigant, pour les enfants, de toujours et toujours leur donner des explications."
"Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them."
This passage from "The Little Prince" perfectly illustrates the use of both "les" and "leur" in a single sentence. Saint-Exupéry uses "les enfants" (direct object) to show who finds it tiring, while "leur donner" demonstrates the indirect object usage - giving explanations "to them" (the grown-ups).
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"les enfants" - here "les" is the definite article, not the pronoun -
"leur donner" - "leur" as indirect object pronoun before the infinitive -
The construction "c'est fatigant... de" shows how French handles impersonal expressions -
Note the placement of "toujours et toujours" for emphasis, a stylistic choice that adds rhythm to the prose
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66.16 The Le detective détective watched observait them les carefully attentivement from depuis his sa car voiture
66.17 He Il had avait followed suivi them les for pendant three trois days jours
66.18 Someone Quelqu'un had avait given donné them leur the les stolen volés diamonds diamants
66.19 The L' inspector inspecteur needed devait to de catch attraper them les red-handed en flagrant délit
66.20 He Il showed a montré them leur his son police de police badge insigne
66.21 The Les witnesses témoins saw ont vu them les leave partir the du museum musée
66.22 Nobody Personne had n'avait told dit them leur about à propos de the la surveillance surveillance
66.23 The La camera caméra had avait filmed filmé them les entering entrant dans the le building bâtiment
66.24 He Il questioned a interrogé them les separately séparément at au the le station commissariat
66.25 The Le judge juge would allait sentence condamner them les tomorrow demain
66.26 Their Leur lawyer avocat advised a conseillé them leur to de remain rester silent silencieux
66.27 The La police police had avait arrested arrêté them les at à midnight minuit
66.28 Someone Quelqu'un must devait have avoir warned prévenu them les in à advance l'avance
66.29 The Les officers officiers escorted ont escorté them les to vers the la patrol car voiture de patrouille
66.30 Evidence Les preuves would allaient convict condamner them les without sans doubt doute
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66.16 Le détective les observait attentivement depuis sa voiture. The detective watched them carefully from his car.
66.17 Il les avait suivis pendant trois jours. He had followed them for three days.
66.18 Quelqu'un leur avait donné les diamants volés. Someone had given them the stolen diamonds.
66.19 L'inspecteur devait les attraper en flagrant délit. The inspector needed to catch them red-handed.
66.20 Il leur a montré son insigne de police. He showed them his police badge.
66.21 Les témoins les ont vus partir du musée. The witnesses saw them leave the museum.
66.22 Personne ne leur avait dit à propos de la surveillance. Nobody had told them about the surveillance.
66.23 La caméra les avait filmés entrant dans le bâtiment. The camera had filmed them entering the building.
66.24 Il les a interrogés séparément au commissariat. He questioned them separately at the station.
66.25 Le juge allait les condamner demain. The judge would sentence them tomorrow.
66.26 Leur avocat leur a conseillé de rester silencieux. Their lawyer advised them to remain silent.
66.27 La police les avait arrêtés à minuit. The police had arrested them at midnight.
66.28 Quelqu'un devait les avoir prévenus à l'avance. Someone must have warned them in advance.
66.29 Les officiers les ont escortés vers la voiture de patrouille. The officers escorted them to the patrol car.
66.30 Les preuves allaient les condamner sans doute. Evidence would convict them without doubt.
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66.16 Le détective les observait attentivement depuis sa voiture.
66.17 Il les avait suivis pendant trois jours.
66.18 Quelqu'un leur avait donné les diamants volés.
66.19 L'inspecteur devait les attraper en flagrant délit.
66.20 Il leur a montré son insigne de police.
66.21 Les témoins les ont vus partir du musée.
66.22 Personne ne leur avait dit à propos de la surveillance.
66.23 La caméra les avait filmés entrant dans le bâtiment.
66.24 Il les a interrogés séparément au commissariat.
66.25 Le juge allait les condamner demain.
66.26 Leur avocat leur a conseillé de rester silencieux.
66.27 La police les avait arrêtés à minuit.
66.28 Quelqu'un devait les avoir prévenus à l'avance.
66.29 Les officiers les ont escortés vers la voiture de patrouille.
66.30 Les preuves allaient les condamner sans doute.
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Detective stories frequently use object pronouns due to their focus on surveillance, interrogation, and legal procedures. This genre provides excellent practice for distinguishing between "les" and "leur."
Common Detective Vocabulary Patterns: -
Verbs taking direct objects (les): observer, suivre, arrêter, filmer, interroger, attraper -
Verbs taking indirect objects (leur): dire, montrer, donner, conseiller, parler, expliquer
Past Participle Agreement in Detective Contexts: When using "les" with compound tenses, remember agreement rules: -
"Il les a vus" (he saw them) - "vus" agrees with plural "les" -
"Il les a interrogés" (he questioned them) - "interrogés" adds -s -
BUT: "Il leur a parlé" (he spoke to them) - no agreement with "leur"
Complex Constructions in Legal/Police French: -
"Les faire parler" (to make them talk) - causative construction -
"Les avoir prévenus" (to have warned them) - perfect infinitive -
"Leur avoir menti" (to have lied to them) - perfect infinitive with indirect object
Word Order in Questions and Negatives: -
Question: "Les a-t-il vus?" (Did he see them?) -
Negative: "Il ne les a pas trouvés" (He didn't find them) -
Negative question: "Ne leur a-t-il pas dit?" (Didn't he tell them?)
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This lesson is part of the comprehensive language learning series developed by the Latinum Institute. Drawing from methodologies presented at latinum.substack.com and latinum.org.uk, these lessons are specifically designed for autodidactic learners who prefer structured, self-paced study.
The course employs the "construed text" method, where target language sentences are broken down word-by-word with glosses in the learner's native language. This approach, refined since 2006 by curator Evan der Millner BA MA (Cantab. NZ, London), enables learners to build vocabulary and grasp grammatical structures simultaneously.
Each lesson follows a consistent format: -
Detailed interlinear texts for vocabulary building -
Complete sentences in both languages for comprehension -
Target language immersion sections -
Comprehensive grammar explanations tailored for English speakers -
Cultural context to enhance understanding -
Authentic literary excerpts with analysis -
Genre-specific practice for real-world application
The Latinum Institute has been creating online language learning materials since 2006, with positive reviews documented at https://uk.trustpilot.com/review/latinum.org.uk. Premium audio materials supporting these written lessons are available at patreon.com/latinum for paid subscribers.
This method proves particularly effective for autodidacts because it provides immediate comprehension while building toward fluency, allowing learners to progress at their own pace without requiring a teacher's constant guidance. The structured approach ensures systematic coverage of grammar and vocabulary while maintaining engagement through varied, culturally relevant content.
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