B2 Pronouns 13 min read Medium

Giving it to them: Double Pronouns (le/la/les before lui/leur)

In French, always place the direct object pronoun (it/them) before the indirect object pronoun (to him/her/them).
Mark as Learned
Practice it

Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds

When using two object pronouns, the direct object (le/la/les) always comes before the indirect object (lui/leur).

  • Direct objects (le, la, les) come before indirect objects (lui, leur). Example: Je le lui donne.
  • In the negative, place 'ne' and 'pas' around the whole verb block. Example: Je ne le lui donne pas.
  • In the imperative, the order flips to indirect then direct with hyphens. Example: Donne-le-lui!
Subject + (le/la/les) + (lui/leur) + Verb

Overview

At the B2 level, moving beyond simple sentence structures is essential for achieving fluency. Mastering French double object pronouns—specifically the le/la/les + lui/leur combination—is a critical milestone. This rule governs the fixed order of direct and indirect object pronouns when they appear together before a verb.

It's not an arbitrary convention; it reflects a core principle of French syntax that prioritizes the object of the action before its recipient.

Your ability to correctly structure sentences like Je le lui donne (I give it to him/her) instead of resorting to cumbersome English-based translations is a hallmark of advanced proficiency. This construction eliminates repetition, creating a more elegant and efficient style of communication. While English offers flexibility ('I give him the book' or 'I give the book to him'), French insists on a rigid order for these pronouns: the 'thing' (le/la/les) always precedes the 'person' (lui/leur).

Understanding this sequence is fundamental to speaking and writing natural, idiomatic French.

This specific pairing is part of a larger, immutable hierarchy of pronoun order in French. By mastering this piece, you are learning a key component of the entire system, which will allow you to handle even more complex pronoun combinations later on.

How This Grammar Works

The foundation of this rule lies in the distinction between two types of object pronouns and their non-negotiable placement before the verb.
1. The Pronouns Involved
  • Direct Object Pronouns (DOPs): le, la, l', les
These pronouns replace nouns that are the direct recipients of the verb's action. They answer the question 'what?' (quoi?) or 'whom?' (qui?). Think of them as replacing the primary object the verb is acting upon.
  • Tu lis le rapport. → Tu le lis. (You read the report. → You read it.)
  • Elle achète la voiture. → Elle l'achète. (She buys the car. → She buys it.)
  • Nous voyons nos amis. → Nous les voyons. (We see our friends. → We see them.)
  • Indirect Object Pronouns (IOPs): lui, leur
These pronouns replace nouns that are the indirect recipients of the action. They answer the question 'to whom?' (à qui?) or 'for whom?' (pour qui?). These nouns are almost always introduced by the preposition à.
  • Je parle à mon manager. → Je lui parle. (I speak to my manager. → I speak to him/her.)
  • Il téléphone à sa cliente. → Il lui téléphone. (He calls his client (f.). → He calls her.)
  • Vous écrivez à vos collègues. → Vous leur écrivez. (You write to your colleagues. → You write to them.)
A crucial point for lui is that it is gender-neutral. It means 'to him' or 'to her', and its meaning is derived purely from the context of the conversation. Leur simply means 'to them'.
2. The Unbreakable Order
When a verb has both a direct object (replaced by le/la/les) and an indirect object (replaced by lui/leur), the order is absolute:
Direct Object Pronoun (le/la/les) + Indirect Object Pronoun (lui/leur) + Verb
This sequence holds true in nearly all grammatical moods and tenses (the main exception being affirmative commands). This syntactic hierarchy, where the direct object takes precedence over the indirect à object, is a foundational element of French grammar.
  • Je donne le stylo à Paul. → Je le lui donne. (I give the pen to Paul. → I give it to him.)
  • Tu montres les photos à tes parents. → Tu les leur montres. (You show the photos to your parents. → You show them to them.)
  • Elle explique la situation à sa chef. → Elle la lui explique. (She explains the situation to her boss. → She explains it to her.)
Notice how the pronouns cluster together immediately before the conjugated verb, acting as a single phonetic and grammatical unit.

Formation Pattern

1
Constructing a sentence with this double pronoun pair follows a reliable, three-step process. Internalizing this sequence will help you build grammatically sound sentences automatically.
2
Step 1: Identify and Replace the Direct Object (DO)
3
First, find the noun that directly answers 'what?' or 'whom?' after the verb. Replace it mentally with le, la, or les. Remember that le and la become l' before a vowel or silent h.
4
Sentence: J'envoie le colis à mon frère.
5
Direct Object: le colis (masculine singular)
6
Replacement: le
7
Step 2: Identify and Replace the Indirect Object (IO)
8
Next, find the noun introduced by à that answers 'to whom?'. Replace it with lui (singular) or leur (plural).
9
Sentence: J'envoie le colis à mon frère.
10
Indirect Object: à mon frère (singular)
11
Replacement: lui
12
Step 3: Assemble in the Correct Order
13
Place the pronouns in the fixed DOP + IOP order before the verb. In negative sentences, ne precedes the pronoun block.
14
Final Assembly: Je le lui envoie. (I send it to him.)
15
Negative: Je ne le lui envoie pas. (I do not send it to him.)
16
This pattern remains consistent across different tenses, though the placement relative to auxiliary verbs or infinitives changes.
17
Pattern Across Tenses
18
| Tense / Mood | Pronoun Placement | Example Sentence | Transformation |
19
|:---|:---|:---|:---|
20
| Présent | Before conjugated verb | Il offre les fleurs à sa femme. | Il les lui offre. |
21
| Passé Composé | Before the auxiliary verb (avoir/être) | J'ai raconté l'histoire aux enfants. | Je la leur ai racontée. |
22
| Imparfait | Before conjugated verb | Tu prêtais ton vélo à ton voisin. | Tu le lui prêtais. |
23
| Futur Simple | Before conjugated verb | Nous enverrons la réponse au client. | Nous la lui enverrons. |
24
| Futur Proche | Before the infinitive | Vous allez dire la vérité au juge. | Vous allez la lui dire. |
25
| Conditionnel | Before conjugated verb | Elle donnerait sa voiture à son fils. | Elle la lui donnerait. |
26
| Subjonctif | Before conjugated verb | ...qu'il explique la leçon aux étudiants.| ...qu'il la leur explique. |
27
Critical Point: Passé Composé and Agreement
28
In the passé composé, the pronoun block precedes the auxiliary avoir. A key B2-level skill is correctly applying the past participle agreement rule:
29
The past participle agrees in gender and number with the preceding Direct Object Pronoun (le, la, les), never with the Indirect Object Pronoun (lui, leur).
30
J'ai donné la pomme (f.) à Luc. → Je la lui ai donnée. (The participle donnée agrees with la.)
31
Tu as montré tes dessins (m. pl.) à Sophie. → Tu les lui as montrés. (The participle montrés agrees with les.)
32
Elle a expliqué sa décision (f.) à ses parents. → Elle la leur a expliquée. (The participle expliquée agrees with la.)
33
The Imperative Exception
34
The one time this order changes is in an affirmative command (impératif affirmatif). Here, the pronouns follow the verb and are connected by hyphens in a different order: Verb-DOP-IOP.
35
Donne le livre à Marie ! → Donne-le-lui !
36
Envoyez les documents à vos collègues ! → Envoyez-les-leur !
37
In a negative command, the order reverts to the standard pre-verbal structure:
38
Ne donne pas le livre à Marie ! → Ne le lui donne pas !
39
N'envoyez pas les documents à vos collègues ! → Ne les leur envoyez pas !

When To Use It

This double pronoun structure is not just a grammatical flourish; it's a cornerstone of efficient and natural French communication. Its primary purpose is to create cohesive discourse by avoiding the clumsy repetition of nouns that are already known to the speakers.
  • Responding to Questions: This is the most common use case. When a question establishes the direct and indirect objects, your answer will naturally use pronouns to refer back to them.
  • As-tu envoyé la facture au service comptable? (Did you send the invoice to the accounting department?)
  • Oui, je la leur ai envoyée ce matin. (Yes, I sent it to them this morning.)
  • Narrative and Procedural Efficiency: In storytelling, giving instructions, or describing a sequence of events, these pronouns streamline the flow and keep the focus on the action.
  • Clumsy: J'ai trouvé une solution. Ensuite, j'ai expliqué la solution à l'équipe.
  • Fluent: J'ai trouvé une solution et je la leur ai tout de suite expliquée. (I found a solution and explained it to them right away.)
  • Verbs of Transfer and Communication: This structure is intrinsically linked to verbs that imply a transfer of an object or information from one person to another. Familiarize yourself with them:
  • donner à (to give to)
  • envoyer à (to send to)
  • montrer à (to show to)
  • dire à (to say/tell to)
  • expliquer à (to explain to)
  • offrir à (to offer/give to)
  • vendre à (to sell to)
  • prêter à (to lend to)
  • rendre à (to give back to)
  • raconter à (to tell/recount to)
  • présenter à (to introduce to)
  • Professional and Digital Communication: In work emails, texts, and instant messaging, conciseness is key. Using double pronouns demonstrates a high command of the language and respects the reader's time.
  • Email: Le client a demandé la nouvelle brochure. Je la lui transmets. (The client asked for the new brochure. I'm forwarding it to him/her.)
  • Text: t'as rendu les clés à ton proprio ? -> oui, je les lui ai rendues hier (did u give the keys back to your landlord? -> yes, I gave them back to him yesterday)
Using this structure signals that you are in sync with your conversational partner, building on shared information rather than re-stating it. Neglecting to use it can make your French sound robotic, overly explicit, or like a direct translation from English.

Common Mistakes

Awareness of the most common errors is the first step to avoiding them. Learners at the B2 level often struggle with the same few issues when internalizing this pattern.
1. The English Word Order Reflex: The single most frequent error is applying English syntax (give him it). The French order le/la/les + lui/leur is non-negotiable.
  • Incorrect: *Je lui le donne.
  • Correct: Je le lui donne.
  • Correction Strategy: Train your brain to always check for a direct object pronoun (le/la/les) first, and if it's there, place it immediately after the subject (je/tu/il...) before considering any other pronoun.
2. Forgetting Passé Composé Agreement: This is a subtle but significant error that distinguishes an intermediate speaker from an advanced one. The past participle must agree with the preceding DOP.
  • Incorrect: J'ai reçu la lettre et je la leur ai lu.
  • Correct: J'ai reçu la lettre et je la leur ai lue. (agreement with la)
  • Correction Strategy: Every time you use this structure in the passé composé, pause and ask yourself: what are le, la, or les replacing? Is it masculine, feminine, or plural? Adjust the participle ending accordingly.
3. Confusing leur (IOP) and leur(s) (Possessive Adjective): These two words sound identical but have completely different grammatical functions. Leur as an indirect object pronoun is invariable.
  • Incorrect: *Je leurs ai dit la vérité.
  • Correct: Je leur ai dit la vérité. (leur means 'to them' and never takes an 's'.)
  • Contrast: Ils parlent à leur professeur. (They are speaking to their teacher.) Ils parlent à leurs professeurs. (They are speaking to their teachers.)
4. Incorrect Negative Structure: The pronoun block must be treated as a single unit, sandwiched between ne and the verb.
  • Incorrect: *Il les ne leur montre pas.
  • Correct: Il ne les leur montre pas.
  • Correction Strategy: Think of the pronoun block [les leur] as 'glued' to the verb. The ne...pas structure must wrap around this entire unit: ne [pronoun block + verb] pas.
5. Mixing Up Imperative Orders: Learners often forget the special post-verbal, hyphenated order for affirmative commands.
  • Incorrect (for a command): *Le lui envoie !
  • Correct: Envoie-le-lui !
  • Correction Strategy: Associate affirmative commands with 'inversion' and hyphens. If there's no ne, the pronouns follow the verb.

Real Conversations

Seeing how this grammar functions in authentic contexts solidifies understanding. Here are examples from everyday life.

S

Scenario 1

Professional Email
S

Subject

Suivi Rapport Annuel

Bonjour Marc,

Pourrais-tu envoyer la version finale du rapport annuel à Mme. Le Gall avant la réunion de 15h ? Elle en a besoin pour préparer sa présentation.

Merci,

Sophie

Reply:

Salut Sophie,

Pas de problème. Je le lui ai envoyé il y a cinq minutes. Elle devrait l'avoir reçu.

À tout à l'heure,

Marc

A

Analysis

Marc uses le lui ai envoyé to efficiently confirm the action. le replaces 'la version finale du rapport' (le rapport) and lui replaces 'à Mme. Le Gall'.*
S

Scenario 2

Texting Between Friends

- Aline: t'as demandé le livre que je t'avais dit à théo ?

- You: oui je le lui ai demandé mais il l'a pas encore fini

- Aline: ah ok. dis-moi qd tu l'as !

A

Analysis

The exchange is fast and informal. le lui ai demandé is the most natural and concise way to answer the question, avoiding repetition of 'le livre' and 'à Théo'.*
S

Scenario 3

At a Family Dinner

- Parent 1: Chéri, tu as pensé à donner les vieux vêtements de Lucas à ta sœur pour son fils ? (Honey, did you remember to give Lucas's old clothes to your sister for her son?)

- Parent 2: Oui, oui, je les lui ai donnés la semaine dernière quand elle est passée. (Yes, yes, I gave them to her last week when she stopped by.)

A

Analysis

A perfect example of passé composé agreement in speech. les replaces 'les vieux vêtements' (m. pl.) and lui replaces 'à ta sœur'. The past participle donnés correctly agrees with les.*

Quick FAQ

Q1: Why does le/la/les come before lui/leur, but after me/te/nous/vous?

You've noticed a key aspect of a larger system! French has a strict, complete order of object pronouns: me/te/se/nous/vous → le/la/les → lui/leur → y → en. The rule in this article focuses on the le/la/les + lui/leur interaction. The 'personal' pronouns (me, te, etc.) have priority and always come first. Think of it as a fixed hierarchy, and you're mastering one pair at a time.

Q2: Since lui can be 'him' or 'her', how do people not get confused?

Context is everything. In any real conversation, the person you're referring to has almost always been mentioned or is physically present. If you say Je parle à Marie. Je lui donne le livre, there is zero ambiguity that lui refers to Marie. Your brain does this automatically without thinking.

Q3: What if the direct object is a person? Does the rule still work?

Absolutely. This is an excellent B2-level question. The structure remains the same. For example, the verb présenter (to introduce) takes a direct object (the person being introduced) and an indirect object (the person they're introduced to). Je présente mon collègue (DO) à mes parents (IO). becomes Je le leur présente. (I introduce him to them.)

Q4: Is the order really always fixed? Are there no exceptions?

The order le/la/les + lui/leur itself is exceptionally stable. The only significant structural exception is the one we've covered: the affirmative imperative (command), where the order flips to Verb-DOP-IOP (e.g., Montre-le-lui !). As soon as the command becomes negative, it reverts to the standard pre-verbal order (Ne le lui montre pas !).

Pronoun Order Table

Subject Direct Object Indirect Object Verb
Je
le
lui
donne
Tu
la
lui
montres
Il
les
leur
envoie
Nous
le
leur
prêtons
Vous
la
lui
expliques
Ils
les
lui
rendent

Elision Rules

Full Elided Context
le + ai
l'ai
Before vowel
la + ai
l'ai
Before vowel

Meanings

This rule governs the sequence of two object pronouns when they appear in the same sentence, ensuring the direct object precedes the indirect object.

1

Standard Declarative

Used when replacing both a direct and indirect object in a standard sentence.

“Je le lui donne.”

“Tu la lui expliques.”

2

Negative Construction

Used to negate the action involving two pronouns.

“Je ne le lui dis pas.”

“Nous ne la leur donnons pas.”

3

Imperative Affirmative

Used for commands involving two objects.

“Donne-le-lui !”

“Montre-la-leur !”

Reference Table

Reference table for Giving it to them: Double Pronouns (le/la/les before lui/leur)
Form Structure Example
Affirmative
Subj + DO + IO + Verb
Je le lui donne.
Negative
Subj + ne + DO + IO + Verb + pas
Je ne le lui donne pas.
Imperative (+)
Verb-DO-IO
Donne-le-lui !
Imperative (-)
Ne + DO + IO + Verb + pas
Ne le lui donne pas !
Passé Composé
Subj + DO + IO + Aux + Participle
Je le lui ai donné.
Future
Subj + DO + IO + Verb
Je le lui donnerai.

Formality Spectrum

Formal
Je le lui donne.

Je le lui donne. (Giving an object)

Neutral
Je le lui donne.

Je le lui donne. (Giving an object)

Informal
Je le lui donne.

Je le lui donne. (Giving an object)

Slang
J'le lui file.

J'le lui file. (Giving an object)

Pronoun Hierarchy

Verb

Direct

  • le it/him
  • la it/her
  • les them

Indirect

  • lui to him/her
  • leur to them

Statement vs Command

Statement
Je le lui donne I give it to him
Command
Donne-le-lui Give it to him

Decision Path

1

Is it a command?

YES
Use hyphens and flip order
NO
Direct then Indirect
Sign up free to read full explanation

Examples by Level

1

Je le lui donne.

I give it to him.

2

Tu le lui dis.

You tell it to him.

3

Il le lui prête.

He lends it to him.

4

Elle le lui vend.

She sells it to him.

1

Je ne le lui dis pas.

I don't tell it to him.

2

Nous la lui donnons.

We give it (fem) to him.

3

Vous les lui montrez.

You show them to him.

4

Ils le leur offrent.

They offer it to them.

1

Je le lui ai donné.

I gave it to him.

2

Tu ne la lui as pas montrée.

You didn't show it (fem) to him.

3

Il les leur a envoyés.

He sent them to them.

4

Elle ne les lui a pas rendus.

She didn't return them to him.

1

Donne-le-lui tout de suite !

Give it to him right away!

2

Ne la lui donne pas.

Don't give it (fem) to him.

3

Montre-les-leur demain.

Show them to them tomorrow.

4

Il faut que je le lui dise.

I must tell it to him.

1

Je le lui aurais donné si j'avais pu.

I would have given it to him if I could.

2

Il ne le lui aurait jamais dit.

He would never have told it to him.

3

Ayant le livre, je le lui ai apporté.

Having the book, I brought it to him.

4

C'est lui qui le lui a donné.

It is he who gave it to him.

1

Il eût fallu le lui dire plus tôt.

It would have been necessary to tell it to him sooner.

2

Quoi qu'il en soit, je le lui dirai.

Whatever the case, I will tell it to him.

3

Je le lui aurais fait savoir, n'eût été son absence.

I would have let him know, had it not been for his absence.

4

Il ne le lui a point donné.

He did not give it to him at all.

Easily Confused

Giving it to them: Double Pronouns (le/la/les before lui/leur) vs Y and En

Learners mix up the order of y/en with direct/indirect pronouns.

Giving it to them: Double Pronouns (le/la/les before lui/leur) vs Direct vs Indirect

Learners forget which pronoun is direct and which is indirect.

Giving it to them: Double Pronouns (le/la/les before lui/leur) vs Imperative Order

Learners use the statement order for commands.

Common Mistakes

✗

Je lui le donne.

✓

Je le lui donne.

Direct object must come before indirect.
✗

Je le donne à lui.

✓

Je le lui donne.

Use the pronoun, not the prepositional phrase.
✗

Je le lui ai donné.

✓

Je le lui ai donné.

Correct, but watch for vowel elision.
✗

Il les leur donne.

✓

Il les leur donne.

Correct, but students often mix up leur/lui.
✗

Ne le lui donne pas.

✓

Ne le lui donne pas.

Correct, but students often forget the 'ne'.
✗

Donne le lui.

✓

Donne-le-lui.

Imperative requires hyphens.
✗

Lui le donne.

✓

Je le lui donne.

Subject is missing.
✗

Je l'ai le donné.

✓

Je le lui ai donné.

Pronoun placement in passé composé.
✗

Il a le lui donné.

✓

Il le lui a donné.

Pronoun must precede auxiliary.
✗

Donne-lui-le.

✓

Donne-le-lui.

Direct object must come first in imperative.
✗

Je le lui aurais le donné.

✓

Je le lui aurais donné.

Double pronoun usage in conditional.
✗

Il ne le lui a point donné.

✓

Il ne le lui a point donné.

Correct, but archaic.
✗

C'est lui le lui a donné.

✓

C'est lui qui le lui a donné.

Relative clause error.

Sentence Patterns

Je ___ ___ donne.

___-le-lui !

Je ne ___ ___ ai pas donné.

Il ___ ___ a montré.

Real World Usage

Texting very common

Je te l'ai envoyé.

Job Interview common

Je vous le lui transmettrai.

Ordering Food occasional

Apportez-le-lui.

Social Media common

Je les lui ai partagés.

Travel common

Pouvez-vous le lui donner ?

Email very common

Je le lui ai fait parvenir.

Sign up free to see all examples
💡

The 'L' Rule

If you see 'le' or 'la' and 'lui' or 'leur', 'le/la' always wins the race to the verb.
⚠️

Imperative Flip

Don't forget that commands (imperatives) flip the order and add hyphens!
🎯

Vowel Elision

Always check if 'le' or 'la' needs to become 'l'' before a verb starting with a vowel.
💬

Natural Sounding

Using these pronouns makes you sound much more like a native speaker than repeating nouns.

Smart Tips

Always put the direct object (le/la/les) first.

Je lui le donne. → Je le lui donne.

Flip the order and use hyphens.

Le lui donne ! → Donne-le-lui !

Wrap the whole pronoun-verb cluster with ne/pas.

Je le lui ne donne pas. → Je ne le lui donne pas.

Place the pronouns before the auxiliary verb.

J'ai le lui donné. → Je le lui ai donné.

Pronunciation

l'ai /lɛ/

Elision

Le/la becomes l' before a vowel.

/le z lɥi/

Liaison

Les lui: the 's' in 'les' is pronounced as a 'z' sound.

Declarative

Je le lui donne ↘

Neutral statement

Imperative

Donne-le-lui ! ↗

Urgent command

Memorize It

Mnemonic

Directly to the Indirect: D comes before I (like in the alphabet).

Visual Association

Imagine a VIP (Direct Object) walking through a door before the waiter (Indirect Object).

Rhyme

Le, la, les go first in line, then lui or leur is doing fine.

Story

Pierre has a gift (le). He wants to give it to Marie (lui). He says 'Je le lui donne'. If he were a drill sergeant, he would shout 'Donne-le-lui!'

Word Web

lelalesluileurdonnermontrerenvoyer

Challenge

Write 5 sentences about giving items to friends using double pronouns.

Cultural Notes

Standard usage is strictly followed in professional settings.

Pronouns are often dropped or simplified in very casual speech.

Formal French is highly valued, so strict adherence to pronoun order is common.

Derived from Latin pronouns, evolving through Old French clitic clusters.

Conversation Starters

“

As-tu donné le livre à Marc ?

“

Peux-tu montrer les photos à tes parents ?

“

Qui a envoyé le message à Sophie ?

“

Donne-le-lui, s'il te plaît.

Journal Prompts

Describe a time you gave a gift to someone.
Explain how you share information with your team.
Write a set of instructions for a friend.
Reflect on a past favor you did for a colleague.

Common Mistakes

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Incorrect

Correct

Sign up free to see all tips

Test Yourself

Fill in the correct pronouns.

Je ___ ___ donne. (it to him)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: le lui
Direct object 'le' comes before indirect 'lui'.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Donne-le-lui.
Imperative requires hyphens and direct-indirect order.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Je lui le ai donné.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je le lui ai donné.
Direct object must precede indirect.
Transform to negative. Sentence Transformation

Je le lui donne. -> ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je ne le lui donne pas.
Ne...pas wraps the pronoun-verb cluster.
Order the words. Sentence Building

lui / le / donne / Je

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je le lui donne.
Standard SVO order with pronouns.
Match the meaning. Match Pairs

Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: le lui: it to him
Correct pronoun meanings.
Select the correct imperative. Multiple Choice

___-le-lui !

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Montre
Imperative form for 'tu'.
Fill in the blank.

Je ne ___ ___ ai pas dit. (it to him)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: le lui
Direct object 'le' before indirect 'lui'.

Score: /8

Practice Exercises

8 exercises
Fill in the correct pronouns.

Je ___ ___ donne. (it to him)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: le lui
Direct object 'le' comes before indirect 'lui'.
Choose the correct sentence. Multiple Choice

Which is correct?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Donne-le-lui.
Imperative requires hyphens and direct-indirect order.
Fix the error. Error Correction

Find and fix the mistake:

Je lui le ai donné.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je le lui ai donné.
Direct object must precede indirect.
Transform to negative. Sentence Transformation

Je le lui donne. -> ?

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je ne le lui donne pas.
Ne...pas wraps the pronoun-verb cluster.
Order the words. Sentence Building

lui / le / donne / Je

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je le lui donne.
Standard SVO order with pronouns.
Match the meaning. Match Pairs

Match the pronoun sequence.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: le lui: it to him
Correct pronoun meanings.
Select the correct imperative. Multiple Choice

___-le-lui !

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Montre
Imperative form for 'tu'.
Fill in the blank.

Je ne ___ ___ ai pas dit. (it to him)

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: le lui
Direct object 'le' before indirect 'lui'.

Score: /8

Practice Bank

10 exercises
Complete the sentence: 'The photo? I'm showing it to them.' Fill in the Blank

La photo ? Je ___ montre.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: la leur
Fix the order: 'He gives it to him.' Error Correction

Il lui le donne.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il le lui donne
Put the words in the correct order: 'I give it to him.' Sentence Reorder

donne / le / Je / lui

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je le lui donne
Translate to French: 'They lend it to her.' (it = masculine) Translation

They lend it to her.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Ils le lui prêtent.
Which one is correct for 'We tell it to them'? Multiple Choice

Choose the best option:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Nous le leur disons.
Match the English to the French. Match Pairs

Match the pairs:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: I give it to him = Je le lui donne
Fill the blank for 'You send them to her.' Fill in the Blank

Tu ___ envoies.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: les lui
Find the mistake: 'I don't show it to them.' Error Correction

Je ne leur le montre pas.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je ne le leur montre pas.
Translate: 'He is returning them to him.' Translation

He is returning them to him.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il les lui rend.
How do you say 'Show it to him' (formal/imperative)? Multiple Choice

Choose correctly:

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Montrez-le-lui.

Score: /10

FAQ (8)

It is a historical quirk of French grammar that commands follow a different syntactic structure.

No, that is grammatically incorrect in standard French.

They always come after the direct and indirect pronouns.

Yes, it applies to all verbs that take direct and indirect objects.

Yes, it is very common in daily conversation.

'Leur' acts just like 'lui' in this sequence.

No, this is a very strict rule in French.

Try writing sentences and checking the order against the 'Direct-Indirect' rule.

Scaffolded Practice

1

1

2

2

3

3

4

4

Mastery Progress

Needs Practice

Improving

Strong

Mastered

Sign up free to practice

In Other Languages

Spanish partial

Se lo

Spanish changes 'le' to 'se' to avoid 'le lo'.

German moderate

Es ihm

German word order is more flexible due to case marking.

Japanese low

Particle usage

Japanese does not use clitic pronouns like French.

Arabic low

Suffixes

Arabic uses a single verb-suffix complex.

Chinese none

Word order

Chinese does not have pronoun clitics.

French high

Le lui

None.

Learning Path

Prerequisites

Previous
French Double Pronoun Order (me, te, nous, vous first)
Next
Where Does 'y' Go? (Pronoun Position)

Related Grammar Rules

A1

Stop Doubling Your Pronouns (Le doublement du sujet)

Overview In French grammar, the principle of **subject non-doubling** is fundamental, particularly for learners at the A...
B2

French Emphasis Pronouns: Me, You, Him (moi, toi, lui...)

Overview French disjunctive pronouns, known as `pronoms toniques` (stressed pronouns), are a set of pronouns used for e...
B2

French Possessive Pronouns: Mine, Yours, Theirs (le mien, la tienne)

Overview At the B2 level, your goal shifts from simple communication to expressing complex ideas with precision and ele...
B1

French Pronoun Order: Before the Infinitive

Overview In French grammar, object pronouns are clitics, meaning they are phonologically dependent on a verb and cannot...
B1

French Demonstrative Pronouns: 'This one' and 'That one' (Celui, Celle)

Overview Demonstrative pronouns in French, specifically `celui`, `celle`, `ceux`, and `celles`, serve to replace a noun...
Was this helpful?

Comments (0)

Login to Comment
No comments yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!