Personal pronouns: "je, tu, il/elle/on, nous, vous, ils/elles"

Choose the right subject pronoun (who is doing the action?)

• Singular: je (I), tu (you – informal), il (he/it), elle (she/it), on (we/people/one)
• Plural: nous (we), vous (you – plural or formal), ils (they – at least one male / mixed group), elles (they – all female)

Self-check: Before you speak, ask: How many people? + Is it formal? + Is the group mixed or all female?

“Tu” vs “Vous”: the decision you make most often

• Practical rule at work: when in doubt, start with vous. You can switch to tu if the other person suggests it.

Gender and plural: “ils” or “elles”?

• elles = a group of women only: Elles sont en réunion.
• ils = a mixed group or men only (even with one man): Ils sont au bureau.

Common trap: Marie + Paul = ils (not elles).

“On”: two useful meanings (and why it feels so common)

• On = informal spoken “we” (instead of nous): On est en retard. (= We’re late.)
• On = “people in general / someone / they” (impersonal): On mange à midi. (= People eat at noon.)

Important: even when on means “we”, the verb is usually 3rd person singular (like il/elle).

Match pronoun + verb: a quick accuracy checklist

1. Pick the pronoun (je/tu/il/elle/on/nous/vous/ils/elles).
2. Check formality: tu vs vous.
3. Check group type: mixed group → ils; all women → elles.
4. Then conjugate the verb for that pronoun.

Mini self-test: can you choose the pronoun fast?

• Talking to a close colleague you know well: tu or vous?
• Talking to a client: tu or vous?
• Referring to “Marie and her team” (all women): ils or elles?
• Casual spoken French: “We’re meeting tomorrow” → Nous nous voyons… or On se voit…?

Goal: you should be able to decide the pronoun first, then the verb form becomes much easier.