Double object pronouns – order
Je te le donne, je le lui donne
When a sentence has two object pronouns, they follow a fixed order.
Order before the verb
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| me, te, se, nous, vous | le, la, les | lui, leur | y | en |
- Il me le donne.He gives it to me.
- Je te les prête.I'll lend them to you.
- Je le lui ai dit.I told him/her (it).
- Elle les leur envoie.She sends them to them.
- Il y en a.There are some.
- Je vous en prie.You're welcome.
- Je lui en ai parlé.I talked to him about it.
A tip: me/te/nous/vous go before le/la/les, but lui/leur go after them.
Affirmative imperative: different order
In positive commands, pronouns go after the verb with hyphens, in this order: direct – indirect – y – en. Me and te become moi and toi (except before en):
- Donne-le-moi !Give it to me!
- Dis-le-lui.Tell him/her.
- Envoyez-les-nous.Send them to us.
- Donne-m'en !Give me some!
- Va-t'en !Go away!
Negative imperative: normal order
- Ne me le donne pas !Don't give it to me!
- Ne le lui dis pas.Don't tell him/her.
In compound tenses
Pronouns go before the auxiliary, and the participle agrees with a preceding direct object: Les clés ? Je les lui ai données.
Practice
- He gives it (the book) to me.Options: Il me le donne. · Il le me donne. · Il le donne moi.
Show the answer
Il me le donne.
- I'm sending them (letters) to her.Options: Je les lui envoie. · Je lui les envoie. · Je les elle envoie.
Show the answer
Je les lui envoie.
- Give it to me!Options: Donne-le-moi ! · Donne-moi-le ! · Me le donne !
Show the answer
Donne-le-moi !
- Tu as parlé de ça à Paul ? – Oui, je _____ ai parlé.Options: lui en · en lui · le lui
Show the answer
lui en
In the app, this lesson is taught one idea at a time with the examples read aloud, followed by questions that explain the rule when you get one wrong. It then comes back for review on later days until you've mastered it.