French grammar: les pronoms personnels sujets

What this grammar point covers

Subject pronouns in French are small words that replace the subject (the person or thing doing the action) in a sentence. They are used before verbs.

When to use it

Use French subject pronouns to say who is doing the action in a sentence. They are always placed before the verb. You need a subject pronoun even if you already mentioned the person.

Key forms

• je
• tu
• il / elle / on
• nous
• vous
• ils / elles

Examples

Tips

• Remember to always use a subject pronoun before the verb in French.
• ‘Je’ becomes ‘j’’ before a vowel or silent h (for example: J’aime).
• ‘On’ is often used in spoken French to mean ‘we’.

Exceptions and edge cases

• ‘Je’ changes to ‘j’’ before a vowel or silent h.
• ‘On’ can mean ‘one’, ‘we’, or ‘people’ depending on the context.