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French Grammar Guidebook

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Object Pronouns in the Passé Composé

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Object pronouns are ubiquitous in the French language, since they are convenient short cuts. You now know all of the different object pronouns and their uses (for a quick review of object pronouns, click here), and know how to place the pronouns in declarative sentences and in commands. One last peculiarity of object pronouns is how they affect the Past Participle in the Passé Composé.

Recall the order of object pronouns:
 

Subject–ne me le lui en–verb–pas.
  te la leur  
  nous les y  
  vous      

Recall also, that object pronouns precede the verb. In the Passé Composé this means that the direct object precedes the helping verb and the Past Participle it belongs to. When a direct object precedes the Past Participle, the Past Participle shows agreement with that direct object:
 

Elle a acheté un chien.
She bought a dog.
Elle l'a acheté.
She bought it.

Un chien/le is the direct object in both cases, but le precedes the Past Participle in the second phrase. Since le is masculine singular, no change needs to be made to the Past Participle
 

Elle a achète une valise.
She bought a suitcase.
Elle l'a achetée.*
She bought it.

Une valise/la is the direct object in both cases, but la precedes the Past Participle, therefore an –e is added to the participle.
 

J'ai mis les clés sur la table.
I put the keys on the table.
Je les y ai mises.
I put them there.

Les clés/les is the direct object in both cases; since les is feminine plural, -es needs to be added to the past participle. Note that this results in a pronunciation difference, since now the first –s of mises is pronounced.

This rule applies to any and all direct objects placed before the Past Participle.
 

J'ai donné les clés à mon voisin.
I gave the keys to my neighbor.
Je les lui ai données.
I gave them to him.

 
Elle s'est brossé les dents.
She brushed her teeth. 
Elle se les est brossées.
She brushed them.

 
Elle n'a pas vu les jardins.
She didn't see the gardens. 
Elle ne les a pas vus.
She didn't see them.

 
Elle s'est habillée.
She got dressed (dressed herself).

*Remember that le and la both become l' before a vowel or a silent h.



Examples of Object Pronouns in the Passé Composé

  • Est-ce que tu aimes ma nouvelle robe? Je l'ai achetée hier.
  • Tu connais cette histoire? Martine me l'a racontée hier.
  • Robert a gagné de l'argent dans le Lotto. Et sa copine? Il ne lui en a rien donné.