lekuSoftPersonal Pronouns as Direct Object Complements (COD)
The direct object complement pronoun (COD) replaces a person, animal, or thing to avoid repeating it. It answers the question “Who?” or “What?” after the verb.
1. Forms of COD Pronouns
COD pronouns agree in gender and number with the noun they replace.
| Person | COD Pronoun | Before a Vowel or Silent h | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st person singular | me | m’ | Il me regarde. / Il **m’**écoute. |
| 2nd person singular | te | t’ | Je te vois. / Je **t’**aime. |
| 3rd person singular (masculine) | le | l’ | Je regarde le film → Je le regarde. |
| 3rd person singular (feminine) | la | l’ | Je mange la pomme → Je la mange. |
| 1st person plural | nous | nous | Elle nous invite. |
| 2nd person plural | vous | vous | Je vous entends. |
| 3rd person plural (masculine & feminine) | les | les | Je lis les livres → Je les lis. |
Attention to elision (m’, t’, l’): Before a verb beginning with a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) or a silent h, me, te, le, la become m’, t’, l’.
- Example: J’aime cette chanson → Je l’aime.
2. Position of the COD Pronoun
As a general rule (affirmative and negative sentences):
The COD pronoun is placed before the conjugated verb.
- Affirmative sentence:
- Tu connais Pierre ? → Oui, je le connais.
- Vous écoutez la radio ? → Oui, nous l’écoutons.
- Negative sentence:
- The pronoun remains attached to the verb, inside the negative construction (ne … pas).
- Tu regardes la télévision ? → Non, je ne la regarde pas.
3. Special Cases of Position: The Imperative
In the imperative, the position of the pronoun depends on whether the sentence is affirmative or negative:
A. Affirmative imperative:
The pronoun is placed after the verb, connected by a hyphen. In addition, the pronouns me and te change to moi and toi.
- Regarde ce film ! → Regarde-le !
- Écoutez la chanson ! → Écoutez-la !
- Prenez les clés ! → Prenez-les !
- Écoute-moi ! (not “Écoute-me”)
B. Negative imperative:
The pronoun returns to its usual position before the verb, and me / te keep their normal forms.
- Ne regarde pas ce film ! → Ne le regarde pas !
- Ne prenez pas les clés ! → Ne les prenez pas !
- Ne me regarde pas !
4. Other Position Cases (A1 / A2)
A. With two verbs (conjugated verb + infinitive):
The COD pronoun is placed directly before the infinitive (the verb it complements).
- Example: Je vais regarder le match. → Je vais le regarder.
- Negative: Je ne vais pas le regarder.
B. In the passé composé:
The COD pronoun is placed before the auxiliary verb (avoir or être).
- Example: J’ai acheté ce livre. → Je l’ai acheté.
- Negative: Je ne l’ ai pas acheté.
5. Summary: Identifying the COD
To determine whether you need to use a COD pronoun, ask the question “Who?” or “What?”:
- Example 1: Je vois Marc. (Je vois qui ? → Marc) → Je le vois.
- Example 2: Elle achète une voiture. (Elle achète quoi ? → une voiture) → Elle la achète → Elle l’achète.