A2 · The pronouns
moi, toi, lui — the stressed forms
A second set of words where English reuses the first.
Beside the pronouns that go in front of the verb there is a second row: moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles. English has no second row — «me» does every job there is, in «with me», in «Who? — Me.» and in «It's me» — so these are new words rather than a new rule.
They appear after a preposition (avec moi), alone as an answer (Qui ? — Moi.), after c'est (c'est lui) and for emphasis at the front of a sentence (Moi, je préfère le thé).
That last one has no English counterpart at all. English emphasises by saying the same word louder — «I prefer tea» — and French cannot do that, because je is too small to carry a stress. So it adds a second pronoun in front and keeps the first: Moi, je, both of them, side by side.
Die Form
| me, you | moi, toi |
| him, her | lui, elle |
| us, you | nous, vous |
| them (m), them (f) | eux, elles |
| after a preposition | avec moi, chez eux |
| for emphasis | Moi, je pense que… |
Die Regeln im Einzelnen
After a preposition the stressed form is used.
Viens avec moi.Come with me.
Standing alone, the stressed form is used.
Qui veut du café ? — Moi.Who wants coffee? — I do.
After c’est the stressed form is used.
C’est elle qui a payé.She is the one who paid.
For emphasis it is added, not substituted.
Moi, je ne suis pas d’accord.I do not agree.
Woran man es erkennt
- avec
- chez
- pour
- sans
- c’est
Beispielsätze
Ce cadeau est pour toi.This present is for you.
Nous dînons chez eux ce soir.We are having dinner at their place tonight.
Lui, il travaille le samedi.He works on Saturdays.
C’est nous.It is us.
Die typisch deutsche Falle
Aufgepasst
The stressed form does not replace the subject pronoun. Moi préfère le thé is not a sentence; it is Moi, je préfère le thé, with both. English needs only one «I» and puts the emphasis in the voice, which is exactly why the second word gets left out. There is no way to say it with one word in French.
French cannot shout a pronoun, so it uses two.
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