French Neuter Object Pronoun - Le - Lawless French Grammar

Pronom objet neutre


	Share / Tweet / Pin Me!

Direct object pronouns are personal: they replace specific people and things and have masculine, feminine, and plural forms. But le, the normally masculine singular direct object pronoun, can also be impersonal and neuter. This le facultatif is formal and therefore found mainly in writing.

Characteristics of the neuter object pronoun

Used with transitive and intransitive verbs
Impersonal, neuter, invariable
Never preceded by a preposition
Formal
Usually written
Often has no English equivalent

Using the neuter object pronoun

1) In English, sentences like "I am" and "No, I’m not" are grammatical and complete, but this is not the case in French. Whatever idea is implied (I am what? I’m not what?) must be expressed with the neuter object pronoun in French. In essence, this means le can replace intangible concepts, including adjectives, verbs, and clauses.

Par exemple…

Elle est fâché, et je le suis aussi.		She’s angry and I am too.
J’étais prof mais je ne le suis plus.		I was a teacher but I’m not any more.
– Christine va divorcer. – Oui, je le pense aussi.		– Christine is going to get divorced. – Yes, I think so too.
Que fait-il ? Je vais le lui demander.		What is he doing? I’m going to ask him.

2) Similar to the above, the neuter le is used in the subordinate clause of comparisons, to refer back to the adjective or concept being compared in the main clause.

Par exemple…

Vous êtes plus charmante que je ne le suis.		You are more charming than I (am).
C’est moins difficile que nous ne le craignions.		It’s less difficult than we feared.
La pièce est encore pire qu’il ne l’avait pensé.		The play is even worse than he thought.

Confused by ne in these examples? It’s called the ne explétif.

The neuter le is particularly common with – though not limited to – these verbs:

Par exemple…

Comme vous le dites, il faut toujours continuer à apprendre.		As you say, we always have to keep learning.
Approche si tu l’oses !		Come over here if you dare!
– Est-ce qu’il va manger avec nous ? – Je le pense, oui, s’il le peut.		– Is he going to eat with us? – I think so, if he can.
– Finis tes épinards. – Je ne le veux pas. (Comparer : Je ne les veux pas.)		– Finish your spinach. – I don’t want to. (Compare: I don’t want it.)