French 1 / Unit 4: Être and Subject Pronouns
4.1 Subject Pronouns
Notes
A subject pronoun replaces the noun that does the action.
| Singulier | Pluriel | |
|---|---|---|
| 1st person | je (j') | nous |
| 2nd person | tu | vous |
| 3rd person | il / elle / on | ils / elles |
- il replaces a masculine noun (le livre → il); elle replaces a feminine noun (la table → elle), for things as well as people.
- ils = a group of males OR a mixed group. elles = only females. One boy and ten girls = ils.
- on means "one / we / people" and takes the same verb form as il/elle: On mange. (We eat / People eat.)
- Je becomes j' before a vowel: j'aime, j'habite.
Practice
Which pronoun replaces « Marie et Julie » ?
Two females: elles.
Which pronoun replaces « Paul, Marc et Anna » ?
A mixed group uses the masculine plural ils.
Which pronoun can mean "we" in casual speech?
On is used for "we" and takes the il/elle verb form.
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