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How to say 'it'


Le gris est bien, mais il est plus pour la route


  • In French, there are different words for saying 'it'.


  • If 'it' is taking the place of the subject of a sentence, you use il for masculine words or elle for feminine ones.


  • When 'it' is an object, you use le, la or l', which come just before the verb, unlike in English.
Tick to see how this works
Le vélo est dans le garage 
La voiture est dans la rue 

Il faut retourner le vélo 
Il faut fermer la porte  

Now practise using pronouns. Complete the sentences by typing in the correct pronoun in the gaps.
Where's the car? It's in the garage. Où est la voiture? est dans le garage.

I like the jacket, but it's too expensive. J'aime le blouson, mais est trop cher.

I'll take this bike. It's more sturdy. Je prends ce vélo. est plus solide.

I don't like the skirt. It's too short. Je n'aime pas la jupe. est trop courte.

Is John home? Yes, he's here. John est chez lui ? Oui, est ici.

Do you know Paula? Yes, she lives with me. Tu connais Paula ? Oui, habite avec moi.

Have you got the newspaper? It's on the table. Tu as le journal ? Oui, est sur la table.

Her house is nice, but it's too far. Sa maison est belle, mais est trop loin.

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