French Grammar in Context

Personal pronouns 59

4 STRESSED PRONOUNS (SUBJECT AND OBJECT)

Usage
a The stressed pronouns are often used for emphasis (see also Chapter 31), either of the subject,
e.g. Moi, je les connais(line 33), or of the object, e.g. Lui, je le déteste. Unlike the unstressed
pronouns, they may be separated from the verb, and so are sometimes called ‘disjunctive’ (or
detachable, stand-alone) pronouns.

b They are also used as the object of a preposition.

e.g. entre eux(line 39); devant vous(lines 41–2).

Form
The stressed pronouns are:

person singular plural

first moi nous
second toi vous
third
(masculine) lui eux
(feminine) elle elles
(neutral) ceci, cela, ça
(non-specific) soi

NoteFor ceci, cela, ça, see Chapter 14.

Other points to note in the text

• Imperatives: donnez-moi(title); dites-vous(line 7); faites-le(line 84) (see Chapter 19)


• Relative pronouns: qui(lines 2, 17, 47); que(lines 34, 41, 48, 82); dont(line 80); ce qui(line 69);
  ce que(line 55) (see Chapter 11)


• Comparison + ne: plus puissante que vous ne le pensez(lines 13–14) (see Chapter 18)

Discover more about personal pronouns

1 SUBJECT PRONOUNS

a It should be noted that the third-person pronouns il(s), elle(s)can refer not only to people but
also to animals and things.
e.g. Avez-vous vu mes clefs? Elles(i.e. les clefs) sont sur votre bureau.

b Onis used in French for purposes other than those seen in the text: (i) as an alternative to the
passive (see Chapter 21); (ii) as an alternative for nous, particularly in informal spoken French.
e.g. Si on allait au cinéma ce soir?(= How about us going to the cinema this evening?)