Language/French/Grammar/Restrictions-on-possible-combinations

Restrictions on possible combinations

Table: The order of unstressed object pronouns

POSITION
First	Second	Third	Fourth	Fifth
me	le	lui		en
te	la	leur	y
se	les
nous
vous

Although The table above describes in general the possible sequences of unstressed object pronouns, there are some restrictions on possible combinations. No pronoun from the first column (me, te, se, nous, vous) can normally appear in combination with a pronoun from the third column (lui, leur):

Whilst

• Je vous présenterai Eve-Marie

I will introduce Eve-Marie to you

can, with two pronouns, become

• Je vous la présenterai

I will introduce her to you

the sentence

• Je vous présenterai à Eve-Marie

I will introduce you to Eve-Marie

cannot become

• Je vous lui présenterai

I will introduce you to her

Instead, you would use

• Je vous présenterai à elle

Whilst

• Je vous recommande Jean-Paul

I recommend Jean-Paul to you

can, with two pronouns, become

• Je vous le recommande

I recommend him to you

the sentence

• Je vous recommande à Jean-Paul

I recommend you to Jean-Paul

cannot become

• Je vous lui recommande

I will recommend you to him

Instead, you would use

• Je vous recommande à lui

Nor can any pronouns from within the same column appear together:

• Richard s'est joint à notre petit groupe

Richard joined our little group

cannot become:

• Il se nous est joint

NOR

• Il nous s'est joint

BUT ONLY:

• Richard s'est joint à nous

Richard joined us