French Subject Pronouns (je, tu, il, nous, vous)

Level: A1. A subject pronoun is the little word that tells you who does the action — “I”, “you”, “she”. French has nine of them, and two points trip up beginners: it has two words for “you” (tu and vous), and an extra pronoun, on, that usually means “we”.

The rule

A subject pronoun replaces the person or thing doing the verb, so you say “she works” instead of repeating the name. French subject pronouns are:

• je — I (becomes j’ before a vowel sound).
• tu — you, speaking to one person you know well.
• il / elle — he / she; also “it” for a masculine or feminine noun.
• on — informally “we”; also “people / one” in general.
• nous — we.
• vous — you, formal to one person, or “you” to several people.
• ils / elles — they (masculine/mixed; all-feminine).

Each pronoun pairs with its own verb form, which is why you learn pronouns and verb endings together.

The forms at a glance

How to say it

French spelling hides a lot of the sound. Watch these in this lesson’s words:

Example sentences

Each sentence was written for this lesson.

1. Je suis étudiant.
   I am a student.
2. J'ai un chat.
   I have a cat.
   je becomes j' before a vowel
3. Tu parles français ?
   Do you speak French?
   tu: someone you know
4. Il travaille à Paris.
   He works in Paris.
5. Elle habite ici.
   She lives here.
6. On mange à midi.
   We eat at noon.
   on = we, with the il/elle form
7. Nous sommes amis.
   We are friends.
8. Vous êtes le professeur ?
   Are you the teacher?
   vous: polite, to one person
9. Vous parlez vite.
   You (all) speak fast.
   vous: to several people
10. Ils arrivent demain.
    They arrive tomorrow.
    men or mixed group
11. Elles sont sœurs.
    They are sisters.
    all female
12. On parle anglais ici.
    People speak English here.
    on = people in general
13. Je m'appelle Marie.
    My name is Marie.
14. Tu as raison.
    You are right.
15. Il fait froid.
    It is cold.
    il for weather
16. Nous habitons à Lyon.
    We live in Lyon.
17. Vous avez un stylo ?
    Do you have a pen?
    liaison: vous avez
18. Elle et lui, ils voyagent.
    She and he, they travel.
    one man makes it ils

Common mistakes

• ❌ tu to a stranger or a boss → ✅ vous. tu is only for people you know well; vous is the polite form.
• ❌ on mangeons → ✅ on mange. on always takes the il/elle verb form, never the nous form.
• ❌ elles for a mixed group → ✅ ils. As soon as one man is included, “they” is ils.
• ❌ je ai → ✅ j’ai. je elides to j’ before a vowel or mute h.

A short conversation

Au bureau (at the office): — Bonjour, vous êtes le nouveau collègue ? — Oui. Je m’appelle Paul. Et vous ? — Moi, c’est Sophie. On déjeune ensemble à midi ? — Avec plaisir ! Les autres, ils viennent aussi ?

Paul and Sophie use vous because they have just met; on déjeune is an everyday “we”; ils viennent refers to a mixed group.

Usage notes

• on is everywhere in speech. In conversation French speakers say on far more than nous for “we”: on y va (let’s go), on verra (we’ll see). nous sounds a little more formal or written.
• il for weather and “it”. Impersonal statements use il: il pleut (it is raining), il fait chaud (it is hot), il est tard (it is late). There is no separate “it” pronoun as a subject.
• vous can be one person or many. The same vous covers polite singular and all plurals; context tells you which. An adjective after it agrees with the real number: vous êtes prêt (one man) vs vous êtes prêts (several).
• Pronoun then verb. Unlike English, the pronoun sits right before the verb and cannot be dropped: je parle, tu parles — never just “parle” for a statement.

Compared with…

• Stressed (disjunctive) pronouns — moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles — are used after a preposition or for emphasis: Moi, je préfère le thé (“Me, I prefer tea”). They are not the subject that drives the verb.
• être in the present — je suis, tu es, il est… — is the verb you pair first with these pronouns to say who someone is. See Stressed pronouns and the verb être in the present in the French grammar section.

Quick recap before the quiz.

Practice

Practice

French subject pronouns practice

Try each one, then press Check. No sign-up, nothing is sent anywhere — it all runs in your browser.

1 You meet your friend's grandmother for the first time. Which 'you' do you use?

tu vous on il

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vous — A stranger, and someone older, takes the polite vous.

2 Fill the pronoun for 'we' used with the il/elle verb form: ____ mange à midi.

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Hint: the informal 'we' that takes a singular verb

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on — on means 'we' but takes the il/elle form: on mange.

3 Elide before a vowel: ____ ai un chat. (= 'I have a cat')

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Hint: je loses its e before a vowel

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j' — je becomes j' before a vowel: j'ai.

4 Order the words: 'She lives here.'

iciEllehabite

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Elle habite ici — Subject pronoun + verb + rest: Elle habite ici.

5 Match each pronoun to its meaning.

• je Match for je — choose — Ithey (all female)they (men or mixed)you (formal / plural)
• vous Match for vous — choose — Ithey (all female)they (men or mixed)you (formal / plural)
• ils Match for ils — choose — Ithey (all female)they (men or mixed)you (formal / plural)
• elles Match for elles — choose — Ithey (all female)they (men or mixed)you (formal / plural)

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• je → I
• vous → you (formal / plural)
• ils → they (men or mixed)
• elles → they (all female)

je = I; vous = polite or plural you; ils = men/mixed; elles = all female.

Quiz

Check yourself

French subject pronouns quiz

12 questions · pick an answer and you'll see straight away if it's right.

0/12 0 answered

1. 1Which pronoun means 'I'?

   A tu B je C il D on
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   je — je is the first-person singular, 'I' (j' before a vowel).

2. 2You are talking to a close friend. Which 'you' fits?

   A vous B tu C on D ils
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   tu — tu is for someone you know well.

3. 3You address a group of people. Which 'you' do you use?

   A tu B vous C on D elle
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   vous — vous covers the plural 'you' as well as the polite singular.

4. 4on usually means…

   A I B we (informal) C they only D it
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   we (informal) — In everyday French on means 'we', and also 'people / one'.

5. 5Which verb form goes with on?

   A the nous form (mangeons) B the il/elle form (mange) C the je form (mange, with -s) D the vous form (mangez)
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   the il/elle form (mange) — on takes the il/elle form: on mange.

6. 6A group of three women is…

   A ils B elles C on D vous
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   elles — elles is 'they' when everyone is female.

7. 7Two women and one man together are…

   A elles B ils C on D nous
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   ils — One man in the group makes 'they' ils.

8. 8Why is it j'ai and not je ai?

   A je is plural B je elides to j' before a vowel C ai is feminine D it is a typo
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   je elides to j' before a vowel — je drops its e before a vowel or mute h: j'ai.

9. 9il and ils are pronounced…

   A differently B the same ('eel') C with a strong s D as 'eels'
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   the same ('eel') — The written -s of ils is silent, so il and ils sound the same.

10. 10'It is raining' in French is…

    A on pleut B ça pleut C il pleut D elle pleut
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    il pleut — Weather uses the impersonal il: il pleut.

11. 11When unsure whether to use tu or vous, you should…

    A always use tu B start with vous C use on D use both
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    start with vous — vous is the safe, polite default until you are invited to use tu.

12. 12Fill the pronoun: ____ sommes amis. (= 'we are friends', formal/written 'we')
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    nous — nous is the full 'we'; it pairs with sommes (nous sommes).

Recap cheat-sheet

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