Understanding French Disjunctive Pronouns
French disjunctive pronouns (also called stressed or emphatic pronouns) are independent pronouns used for emphasis, after prepositions, in comparisons, and standalone responses.
Complete set of disjunctive pronouns:
- moi: me (1st person singular)
- toi: you (2nd person singular, informal)
- lui: him (3rd person masculine singular)
- elle: her (3rd person feminine singular)
- nous: us (1st person plural)
- vous: you (2nd person plural/formal)
- eux: them (3rd person masculine plural)
- elles: them (3rd person feminine plural)
Key characteristics:
- Independent: Can stand alone
- Emphatic: Add emphasis to statements
- After prepositions: Required after prepositions
- Comparisons: Used in comparative structures
- Invariable: Don't change form based on function
These pronouns are essential for natural French expression and proper emphasis.
Examples
Moi, je ne suis pas d'accord. (Me, I don't agree.)
Emphasis on the speaker
C'est pour toi. (It's for you.)
After preposition POUR
Il est plus grand que lui. (He is taller than him.)
In comparison with QUE
Forms of Disjunctive Pronouns
Complete conjugation of disjunctive pronouns:
Disjunctive Pronouns
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| moi | me | Moi, je veux partir. (Me, I want to leave.) |
| toi | you (informal) | Toi, tu comprends. (You, you understand.) |
| lui | him | Lui, il est intelligent. (Him, he is intelligent.) |
| elle | her | Elle, elle travaille. (Her, she works.) |
| nous | us | Nous, nous partons. (Us, we're leaving.) |
| vous | you (formal/plural) | Vous, vous savez. (You, you know.) |
| eux | them (masculine) | Eux, ils sont contents. (Them, they are happy.) |
| elles | them (feminine) | Elles, elles chantent. (Them, they sing.) |
Examples
Qui veut venir? Moi! (Who wants to come? Me!)
Standalone response
Emphasis and Contrast
Disjunctive pronouns add emphasis or contrast:
Examples
Moi, je pense que c'est vrai. (Me, I think it's true.)
Toi, tu ne comprends pas. (You, you don't understand.)
Lui, il travaille, mais elle, elle se repose. (Him, he works, but her, she rests.)
Contrasting two people
Subject Emphasis
Emphasizing the subject:
Moi, je ne suis jamais en retard. (Me, I'm never late.)
Strong emphasis on personal involvement
Contrast Between People
Showing differences:
Nous, nous aimons le théâtre, mais eux, ils préfèrent le cinéma. (We like theater, but they prefer cinema.)
Contrasting preferences
After Prepositions
Disjunctive pronouns are required after prepositions:
Examples
C'est pour toi. (It's for you.)
Je pense à lui. (I think about him.)
Avec nous. (With us.)
Sans elles. (Without them.)
Common Prepositions + Disjunctive
Frequent combinations:
avec moi (with me), pour toi (for you)
chez lui (at his place), sans elle (without her)
Location Expressions
Place-related prepositions:
chez nous (at our place)
devant eux (in front of them)
In Comparisons
Disjunctive pronouns in comparative structures:
Examples
Il est plus grand que moi. (He is taller than me.)
Elle court plus vite que lui. (She runs faster than him.)
Nous sommes aussi intelligents qu'eux. (We are as intelligent as them.)
Tu es moins patient qu'elle. (You are less patient than her.)
Plus/Moins...que
Comparative structures:
plus âgé que toi (older than you)
moins riche qu'eux (less rich than them)
Aussi...que
Equality comparisons:
aussi fort que lui (as strong as him)
aussi belle qu'elle (as beautiful as her)
Standalone Responses
Disjunctive pronouns can stand alone as responses:
Examples
Qui veut du café? Moi! (Who wants coffee? Me!)
Qui a fait ça? Lui! (Who did that? Him!)
Et toi? (And you?)
Pas nous! (Not us!)
Question Responses
Answering who questions:
Qui parle français? Nous! (Who speaks French? Us!)
Short, emphatic responses
Negative Responses
Negative standalone forms:
Pas moi! (Not me!)
Pas eux! (Not them!)
With C'EST and CE SONT
Disjunctive pronouns with identification structures:
Examples
C'est moi. (It's me.)
C'est lui qui a gagné. (It's him who won.)
Ce sont eux. (It's them.)
C'est nous qui partons. (It's us who are leaving.)
C'EST + Singular
With singular disjunctive pronouns:
C'est toi? (Is it you?)
C'est elle! (It's her!)
CE SONT + Plural
With plural disjunctive pronouns:
Ce sont eux qui ont raison. (They are the ones who are right.)
Ce sont elles qui chantent. (They are the ones singing.)
In Compound Subjects
Disjunctive pronouns in compound subjects:
Examples
Toi et moi, nous partons. (You and I, we're leaving.)
Lui et elle, ils se marient. (He and she, they're getting married.)
Mes amis et moi, nous aimons voyager. (My friends and I, we like to travel.)
Mixed noun and pronoun subjects
After QUE in Cleft Sentences
Disjunctive pronouns in cleft constructions:
Examples
C'est moi que tu cherches? (Is it me you're looking for?)
C'est à lui que je parle. (It's to him that I'm speaking.)
C'est avec eux que nous travaillons. (It's with them that we work.)
Emphasizing prepositional relationships
Special Expressions
Fixed expressions with disjunctive pronouns:
Examples
Chacun pour soi. (Each for himself.)
Chez soi. (At one's own place.)
Entre nous. (Between us.)
Malgré lui. (Despite himself.)
SOI - Indefinite Disjunctive
Used with indefinite subjects:
Il faut penser à soi. (One must think of oneself.)
Chacun chez soi. (Everyone at their own place.)
Disjunctive vs Other Pronouns
When to use disjunctive vs other pronoun types:
Pronoun Type Comparison
| Pronoun | Conjugation | English |
|---|---|---|
| Subject pronouns | je, tu, il, elle... | Je parle. (I speak.) |
| Object pronouns | me, te, le, la... | Il me voit. (He sees me.) |
| Disjunctive | moi, toi, lui, elle... | C'est pour moi. (It's for me.) |
Examples
Use disjunctive: after prepositions, for emphasis, standalone
Use object pronouns: direct/indirect objects
Common Mistakes with Disjunctive Pronouns
Here are frequent errors with disjunctive pronouns:
1. Wrong pronoun type: Using subject/object pronouns instead of disjunctive
2. Missing emphasis: Not using disjunctive for emphasis
3. Preposition errors: Using wrong pronoun type after prepositions
4. Gender/number errors: Wrong form for masculine/feminine plural
Examples
❌ C'est pour je → ✅ C'est pour moi
Wrong: must use disjunctive after prepositions
❌ Je pense à il → ✅ Je pense à lui
Wrong: disjunctive required after preposition
❌ Plus grand que je → ✅ Plus grand que moi
Wrong: disjunctive in comparisons
❌ Ce sont eux qui travaille → ✅ Ce sont eux qui travaillent
Wrong: verb must agree with plural subject