Unit 39: Personal pronouns - Order of pronouns
1 General
As has been mentioned, object pronouns come before the verb in a simple tense or before the auxiliary verb avoir or être in a compound tense :
Tu connais Paul? - Oui, je le connais
Do you know Paul? - Yes, I know him
As-tu trouvé tes lunettes? - Oui, je les ai trouvées
Did you find your glasses? - Yes, I did find them
2 Two pronouns 
In cases where there are two pronouns the order is as follows:
| me te le lui se la y en leur nous les vous |
This order is the same for affirmative sentences:
Elle me les a rendus
She gave them back to me
Ils nous en prêteront
They will lend us some
Il y en a encore
There are more of them
negative sentences:
Je ne la lui ai pas envoyée
I didn't send it to him / her
Ils ne nous en prêteront pas
They won't lend us any
Il n'y en a plus
There aren't more of them
and all types of questions, including negative questions:
Me les a-t-elle rendus?
Did she give them back to me?
Nous en prêteront-ils?
Will they lend us some?
Ne la lui ai-je pas envoyée?
Didn't I send it to him / her?
Y en a-t-il encore?
Are there any more of them?
3 Use before infinitives
When a verb is used with an infinitive , the pronouns tend to come directly before the infinitive:
Je compte la leur présenter
I'm planning on introducing her to them
J'aurais bien aimé l'avoir rencontrée
I really would have liked to have met her
4 Use in imperative
4.1 Affirmative imperative
In the affirmative imperative , pronouns come after the verb and are linked to it by a hyphen. Note that moi and toi are used instead of me and te:
Tu veux du chocolat? Prends-en!
Do you want some chocolate? Take some!
Ce sera bientôt l'anniversaire de ta mère. Envoie-lui une carte!
It will soon be your mother's birthday. Send her a card!
Tu as trouvé ses clefs? Donne-les-lui!
Have you found his / her keys? Give them to him / her!
Tu as des photos? Montre-les-moi!
Do you have some photos? Show them to me!
4.2 Negative imperative
In the negative imperative , however, pronouns come before the verb . Moi and toi revert to me and te:
Ne les lui donne pas!
Don't give them to him / her!
Ne me les montre pas!
Don't show them to me!
Ne m'en donne pas!
Don't give me any!
Ne leur en achète pas!
Don't buy them any!
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