Friday, January 3, 2020
Understanding French Stressed Pronouns
Stressed pronouns, also known as disjunctive pronouns, are used to emphasize a noun or pronoun that refers to a person. There are nine forms in French. Please see the table at the bottom of the page. French stressed pronouns correspond in some ways to their English counterparts, but are very different in other ways. Note that the English translations sometimes require different sentence structures altogether. Stressed pronouns are used in the following ways in French: I. To emphasize nouns or pronouns (accent tonique)    - Je pense quil a raison.    - Moi, je pense quil a tort.    - Je ne sais pas, moi.    - I think hes right.    - I think hes wrong.    - I dont know. II. After cest and ce sont (accent tonique)    Cest toi qui à ©tudies lart.    Youre the one whos studying art.    Ce sont elles qui aiment Paris.    They love Paris. III. When a sentence has more than one subject or object   Michel et moi jouons au tennis.    Michael and I are playing tennis.   Toi et lui, vous à ªtes trà ¨s gentils.    You and he are very kind.   Je les ai vus, lui et elle.    I saw him and her. IV. To ask and answer questions    - Qui va à la plage ?    - Lui.    - Who is going to the beach?    - He is.    Jai faim, et toi?    Im hungry, and you? V. After prepositions    Vas-tu manger sans moi?    Are you going to eat without me?    Louis habite chez elle.    Louis lives at her house. VI. After que in comparisons    Elle est plus grande que toi.    She is taller than you (are).    Il travaille plus que moi.    He works more than I (do). VII. With emphatic words like aussi, non plus, seul, and surtout    Lui seul a travaillà © hier.    He alone worked yesterday.    Eux aussi veulent venir.    They want to come too. VIII. With -mà ªme(s) for emphasis   Prà ©pare-t-il le dà ®ner lui-mà ªme?    Is he making dinner himself?   Nous le ferons nous-mà ªmes.    Well do it ourselves. IX. With the negative adverb ne...que and conjunction ne...ni...ni   Je ne connais que lui ici.    Hes the only one I know here.    Ni toi ni moi ne le comprenons.    Neither you nor I understand it. X. After the preposition à to indicate possession   Ce stylo est à moi.    This pen is mine.   Quel livre est à toi?    Which book is yours? XI. With certain verbs that dont allow a preceding indirect object pronoun   Je pense à toi.    Im thinking of you.    Fais attention à eux.    Pay attention to them. Note: Soi is used for unspecified persons. Would you like to test your skills with French stressed pronouns? English French me moi you toi him lui her elle oneself soi us nous you vous them (masc) eux them (fem) elles How to Use the French Pronoun Soi Soi is one of the most often misused French pronouns. Its the third person indefinite stressed pronoun, which means that it is used only for unspecified persons; i.e., with an indefinite pronoun or impersonal verb. Soi is equivalent to one or oneself, but in English, we usually say everyone instead.    On va chez soi.   Everyone is going (to his or her respective) home.    Chacun pour soi.   Every man for himself.    Il faut avoir confiance en soi.   One should have confidence in oneself (in him/herself).    Tout le monde doit le faire soi-mà ªme.   Everyone has to do it him/herself. Some French students get confused between soi-mà ªme and lui-mà ªme. If you remember that soi can only be used for unspecified persons, you should be ok.   Il va le faire lui-mà ªme.   Hes going to do it himself.   On va le faire soi-mà ªme.   Everyone is going to do it him/herself.
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