Language/French/Grammar/Order-of-multiple-pronouns-with-imperatives
When two pronouns follow the verb in affirmative imperatives the ordering of pronouns is slightly different in that pronouns from the first column (me, te, se, nous, vous) follow pronouns from the second column (le, la, les).
The other orders remain the same. Pronouns after imperatives are linked to the verb that governs them by hyphens:
- Donne-le-moi (NOT *Donne-moi-le)
Give it to me
- Passez-les-nous (NOT *Passez-nous-les)
Pass them over to us
- Nettoyez-la-moi (NOT *Nettoyez-moi-la)
Clean it for me
NB: Donne-moi-le, Passez-nous-les, etc., are often heard in informal spoken French. The foreign learner should avoid them, however.
BUT:
- Donne-le-lui
Give it to him
- Passez-les-leur
Pass them over to them
- Parlez-lui-en
Talk to him about it
The pronouns me, te become moi, toi in affirmative imperatives when they are the last pronoun in the sequence, but become m , t' before y or en:
- Donne-le-moi
Give it to me
- Donne-m'en
Give me some
In these cases in informal spoken French it is not unusual to hear moi, toi I retained with a linking -z-, but the learner should avoid this usage:
- Parlez-moi-z-en
Talk to me about it
- Accroche-toi-z-y
Hang on to it
In negative imperatives pronouns precede the verb, and the order of multiple pronouns is as indicated in the table:
- Ne me le donne pas
Don't give it to me
- Ne me les nettoyez jamais!
Don't you ever clean them for me! (i.e. I forbid you to ...)