Language/French/Grammar/French-Ditransitive-verbs

Ditransitive verbs and the question of attribution complement Certain linguistic theories breaking with traditional grammar consider that a verb, then qualified as ditransitive, can accept 2 object complements, called direct object complement, “complément d'objet direct” in French (COD) and second object complement, “complément d'objet second “ in French (COS).

• Elle donne une pomme à son frère

She gives an apple to her brother

→ Ditransitif, because an apple is COD and her brother is COS.

Traditional French grammar strongly rejects this analysis: it considers that the "complement of secondary object" is generally nothing other than a complement of attribution.

• Elle donne une pomme à son frère

She gives an apple to her brother

→ Direct transitive, because “une pomme” (an apple) is a complement of a direct object (only object of the gift) and “à son frère” (to her brother) is a complement of attribution.

Source: https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transitivit%C3%A9_(grammaire)