im stuck on indirect object pronouns. i don't know if for example, Je______ achète des baskets. (à mes cousins) if i have to use the verb aller? would it be Je vais leur?
I'll send your post to our French expert, SraJMcGin.
Object pronouns can cause a lot of trouble. First of all, notice where the blank is? That is because USUALLY object pronouns in French (be they direct or indirect) go in front of the conjugated verb. They only follow, and are attached with a hyphen, after affirmative commands. Depending upon your textbook, you might meet indirect object pronouns before direct object pronouns. Be sure to let me know when you have double object pronouns (both indirect and direct) for further explanation.
INDIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS IN FRENCH:
me (m) = me, to, for, at, from me
te (t’) = you, to, for, at, from you (familiar, singular)
lui = him, to, for, at, from him (it - masculine singular)
lui = her, to, for, at, from her (it - feminine singular)
se (s’) = to, for, at, from himself (herself)
nous = us, to, for, at, from us
vous = you, to, for, at, from you (formal singular or plural)
leur = them, to, for, at, from them (people or things)
se (s’) = to, for, at, from themselves
NOTE: either stated or understood, to, for, at or from will be there. A good English class helps to identify both direct and indirect object pronouns.
Placement:
Like direct object pronouns, indirect object pronouns are placed immediately before the verb of which they are the object (except in affirmative commands)
Examples:
Me parle-t-il? = Is he speaking to me?
Ne lui avez-vous pas écrit? = Haven’t you written to him/her?
In affirmative commands (imperative) only, the object pronoun is placed directly after the verb and is linked to it by a hyphen. The pronouns me and te change to moi and toi after the verb:
Parlons-lui - Let’s speak to him/her.
The negative imperative:
Ne lui parlons pas. - Let’s not speak to him/her.
Now, let's look at your example. It would appear that all you have to do is supply the indirect-object pronoun: to my cousins = TO THEM (leur) and place it in the blank. the verb is already there: I buy, am buying, do buy = achéte. So, all together it is: Je leur achète des baskets (and you CAN add "à mes cousins" for clarification)
Now, if you add ALLER, it would be: I AM GOING/GO/DO GO to buy baskets for them = Je vais leur acheter des baskets à ms cousins.
NOTE: In the last example the indirect-object is the object of the INFINITIVE and therefore precedes that!
Sra (aka Mme)
Feel free to ask any question if you are in doubt about anything.
Thank you so much you explain it better than my french professor.
You are most welcome! Possibly because I have taught this in 3 languages for over 32 years!
Sra (aka Mme)
To determine which form of the indirect object pronoun to use, you need to consider two things: the verb and the preposition.
In this case, the verb "acheter" does not require the use of the preposition "à" to introduce the indirect object. Therefore, you do not need to use the indirect object pronoun "leur."
Instead, you can directly place the indirect object pronoun before the verb "achète." The correct form of the indirect object pronoun to use for the plural "mes cousins" is "leur."
So, the complete sentence would be:
Je leur achète des baskets.
Now, let's break down how to arrive at this solution:
1. Identify the verb. In this case, it's "acheter."
2. Determine if the verb requires a preposition before the indirect object. In this case, it doesn't.
3. Identify the indirect object. The indirect object in the sentence is "à mes cousins."
4. Determine the appropriate form of the indirect object pronoun based on the number and gender of the indirect object. In this case, "à mes cousins" is plural, so you choose "leur" as the indirect object pronoun.
5. Place the indirect object pronoun before the verb. Hence, you have "Je leur achète."
By following these steps, you can determine which form of the indirect object pronoun to use in a sentence.