Pronom disjonctif

French Disjunctive Pronouns

See also: Pronom and Pronoun Types

Disjunctive pronouns (also called stress or stressed pronouns; in French also called pronoms disjoints), are used to highlight the person they refer to.

For example:

Moi, j'aime le chocolat. - Me, I like chocolate.

The stress pronoun highlights the subject pronoun 'I'.

 

Pronoms disjonctifs Stress pronouns
moi me
toi you (singular / informal)
lui him
elle her
soi oneself
nous us
vous you (plural / formal)
eux them (male or mixed)
elles them (all female)

 

Stress pronouns give emphasis to the person they refer to. In these cases, they double up with a subject or object pronoun:

Moi, je n'aime pas courir. - Me, I don't like running.

Lui, je le déteste ! - Him, I hate him!

 

They are often used after prepositions:

C'est pour moi. - It's for me.

Je suis avec elle. - I'm with her.

Vous pensez à nous. - You think of us.

Il faut prendre soin de soi. - One must take care of oneself.

 

And after c'est:

C'est toi ! - It's you!

Le voleur, c'est lui ! - He's the thief!

 

Stressed pronouns can stand alone, or be used in non-verbal constructions:

Qui a mangé mon sandwich? Lui ! - Who ate my sandwich? Him!

Non, pas eux ! - No, not them!

 

And they can be used with même to express 'oneself'

Je l'ai fait moi-même !  - I did it myself!

 

Note: Stress pronouns can only replace people. For objects, you must use a demonstrative pronoun.

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