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 Grammar
 Les déterminants et pronoms: pronouns and determiners in French

Les déterminants et pronoms: pronouns and

determiners in French
What are determiners and pronouns?
Pronouns (les pronoms) replace a noun. There are different types of pronouns: personal
pronouns, possessive pronouns, reflexive pronouns, relative pronouns, interrogative pronouns
(question words), demonstrative pronouns, indefinite pronouns and adverbial
pronouns. Determiners (les déterminants), also known as adjectives, describe a noun. They
come before the noun in a sentence, and can be possessive, demonstrative, indefinite and
interrogative.

Click on the topics below to learn about the different types of pronouns and determiners in
French grammar. At the end of each explanation, you can practise what you’ve learned in the
free interactive exercises.

Personal Pronouns
We use personal pronouns to replace a previously-mentioned noun, talk about ourselves, or
talk about or to other people. French differentiates between strong forms and weak forms of
personal pronouns.

Example:
Eric chante une chanson. Il chante une chanson pour elle.

Possessive Pronouns and Determiners

Possessives indicate possession or belonging. They can come before a noun to modify it or
stand in its place. 

Example:
C’est ma valise. (dependent)
C’est la mienne. (independent)
Reflexive Pronouns
The reflexive pronouns are me, te, se, nous, vous. We use them with reflexive verbs.
Reflexive pronouns always refer to the subject of the sentence.

Example:
Je me regarde dans le miroir.

Relative Pronouns
Relative pronouns introduce relative clauses, which give additional information about an
element in the main clause.

Example:
La police cherche l’homme qui a attaqué la banque.

Interrogative Pronouns
Interrogative pronouns are question words. In French, these are qui, que, quoi, lequel, quel. In
a question, they replace the noun that we are asking about.

Example:
Qui a dit ça ?

Demonstrative Pronouns
The demonstrative pronouns include e.g. ce, cet, celui-ci, celui-là. We use demonstrative
pronouns to indicate or specify something in particular.

Example:
Quelle voiture voulez-vous acheter, celle-ci ou celle-là ?

Indefinite Pronouns
Indefinite pronouns and determiners allow us to talk generally about unknown people or
things as well as indeterminate quantities. Some of the most common indefinite pronouns in
French are on, personne, rien, aucun etc.

Example:
Il n’y a aucun problème. (dependent)
 Est-ce que je peux faire quelque chose pour vous ? (independent)

Adverbial Pronouns
The adverbial pronouns are y and en. These are technically adverbs that are used as pronouns.
They replace nouns or clauses in a sentence.

Example:
Elle va à l’école. Elle y va.
Elle revient de l’école. Elle en revient.
Grammar
Tenses – Indicative
Verbs
Verb Conjugator
Nouns
Articles
Pronouns and Determiners
 Personal Pronouns
 Possessive Pronouns and Determiners
 Reflexive Pronouns
 Relative Pronouns
 Interrogative Pronouns and Determiners
 Demonstrative Pronouns and Determiners
 Indefinite Pronouns and Determiners
 Adverbial Pronouns
Adjectives
Adverbs
Prepositions
Sentence Structure

Vocabulary
Numbers, Dates, Time
Countries
Confusing Words
Conjunctions
Idioms
Themed Vocabulary
Vocabulary Calendar

Listening/Reading
Reading Comprehension
Listening Comprehension
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