French Subject Pronouns Explained: je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, ils

Quick Start

Level: A1 beginner
Best used for: using the right subject pronoun automatically
Read this when: you still hesitate between je, tu, il, elle, nous, vous, and ils

What you will get from this guide

how each core subject pronoun functions
how pronouns affect the rest of the sentence
how to reuse pronouns in simple speaking drills

Practice tip: Say one short sentence aloud for each subject pronoun so the pattern becomes automatic instead of theoretical.

Next step: The Verb Etre in French with Easy Examples

Subject pronouns are the words you use instead of a name to say who does the action. Mastering them is the very first step to conjugating any French verb.

The 8 French subject pronouns

je = I
tu = you (informal, singular)
il = he / it (masculine)
elle = she / it (feminine)
nous = we
vous = you (formal or plural)
ils = they (masculine or mixed group)
elles = they (feminine only)

Tu vs vous

French has two ways to say “you”.

Use tu with friends, family, children, and people you know well.
Use vous with strangers, professionals, older people, and in formal situations. Also use vous when talking to more than one person.

Il and elle for things

In French, every noun has a gender. Use il for masculine nouns and elle for feminine nouns when replacing them with a pronoun.

Le livre est interessant. Il est interessant.
La maison est grande. Elle est grande.

Ils for mixed groups

Even if only one person in a group is male, you use ils to refer to the whole group. This is a strict grammar rule in French.

On: the informal “we”

In everyday spoken French, people often use on instead of nous.

On mange ensemble ce soir ? = Are we eating together tonight?
On est arrives. = We have arrived.

Quick exercise

Replace the subject with the correct pronoun:

Marie parle vite. → Elle parle vite.
Paul et Marc travaillent. → Ils travaillent.
Le chien dort. → Il dort.

Final tip

Learn the pronouns as a set from day one. Every time you conjugate a verb, you will use all eight of them, so knowing them automatically saves time every time you speak or write.