Language/French/Grammar/Position-of-object-pronouns-with-faire,-laisser,-envoyer-or-verbs-of-perception-+-infinitive

Position of object pronouns with faire, laisser, envoyer or verbs of perception + infinitive

Rule 1

Where the infinitive has faire, laisser, envoyer or perception verbs like voir, regarder, entendre, sentir in front of it, direct and indirect object pronouns appear before this other verb if they are understood as the subject of the infinitive:

Examples

• Je la voyais venir (who is coming? 'she' is, therefore la is the understood subject of venir)

I saw her coming

• Sa mère lui a fait manger du potage (who ate the soup? 'she' did, therefore lui is the understood subject of manger)

Her mother made her eat some soup

• Elle m'a laissé pleurer (who cried? T did, therefore me is the understood subject of pleurer)

She let me cry

Note that the understood subject of the infinitive is realized as an indirect object if the infinitive has a direct object, but as a direct object if it does not.

Compare

• Sa mère lui a fait manger du potage/Sa mère le lui a fait manger (du potage is the direct object of manger)

Her mother made her eat some soup/Her mother made her eat it

• Sa mère l'a fait manger (manger has no direct object)

Her mother made her eat

Rule 2

If the direct or indirect object is understood as the object of the infinitive, it normally also comes before the other verb (although some native speakers may allow it to be placed directly in front of the infinitive):

Examples

• Je l'ai envoyé chercher (le is the understood object of chercher)

I sent (someone) to look for him

• Je l'ai entendu dire (le is the understood object of dire)

I have heard it said

• Elle le fit remplacer (le is the understood object of remplacer)

She had it replaced

Other Lessons

• Subject verb agreement — Agreement with more than one subject
• Use of indefinite and partitive articles after the negative forms
• Plurals of nouns ending in –ou
• Manner adverbs
• Relative Clause
• Definite and indefinite articles
• Nouns which exist only in plural form
• Comparative forms of adjectives
• Should I say "Madame le juge" or "Madame la juge"?
• Use of y
• Adjectives preceded by de
• Pronominal Verbs
• Position of subject pronouns
• Position of more than one object pronoun with faire etc. + infinitive
• Ambiguity of reference of lui and leur