Independent Pronouns  (e.g.: moi, toi, lui, etc.)

Overview of Independent Pronouns

French independent pronouns are presented in the following table:

Independent pronouns appear:

a) after a preposition, e.g.: pour moi, vers toi, avant nous, etc.

b) by themselves, e.g.: Qui l'a fait? ... moi.

c) after the expression c'est, e.g.: C'est moi.

Since independent pronouns can stand alone, they are the ones used for emphasis, e.g.: C'est toi qui as cassé la fenêtre. Note that when an independent pronoun is used before qui, the verb agrees with the independent pronoun, e.g.: C'est toi qui as ..., C'est moi qui ai ...

Another place you will find independent pronouns is in combination with the word -même to mean "self", e.g.: moi-même ("myself"), eux-mêmes ("themselves"), elle-même ("herself").

In addition to knowing where to use independent pronouns, it's also important to know where not to use them! Basically, when a verb other than être is involved, you should use a direct or indirect object pronoun before the verb. You should NOT use an independent one after it. For example:

• je la vois NOT je vois elle

• il me parle NOT il parle à moi