How it works
A subject pronoun tells us who does something. Je means “I”; tu addresses one person informally. Il and elle refer to one person, and ils and elles to groups. Elles is used for an all-female group; ils is the conventional form for a male or mixed group. Nous includes the speaker. Vous addresses several people or one person politely. On can mean informal “we” but takes a singular verb.
person or group → subject pronoun + matching verb
| Context or function | French form |
|---|---|
| Speaker | je |
| Person addressed informally | tu |
| Feminine singular | elle |
| Speaker and others | nous |
| All-feminine plural | elles |
One person addressed informally
One male person
A singular pronoun, also used informally for “we”
One person addressed politely, or several people
A male or mixed group
See it in a sentence
Lina est ici. Elle attend.
Lina is here. She is waiting.
Elle refers back to Lina, one woman.
Toi et moi, nous parlons.
You and I are talking.
Nous includes both the speaker and the person being addressed.
Put it into practice
Try it yourself
5 questions, with feedback after every answer. No account needed.
