How to Say "Him" in French - How To Say Guide

lui

/lɥi/

In French, the word for "him" is lui.

Meaning: accusative / direct object (pron)

How does it change in a sentence?

In French grammar, lui serves as the form for both "him" and "her" when the person is an indirect object.

/lɥi/

English speakers often mistake lui for a direct object, but it is actually the indirect object form used with verbs like dire à (to say to).

If you are talking about 'him' in a reflexive sense, such as 'he speaks to himself', French uses se instead of lui.
The etymology of lui traces back to the Late Latin illui, which was a specific form used to denote the indirect object.
In certain informal spoken French dialects, you might hear people use lui where standard grammar strictly requires the direct object le, though this is considered non-standard.

Tom lui a dit.
Tom told him.
Tatoeba #10051129 by Micsmithel, translation #2238815 by CK
Ne lui dis pas.
Don't tell him.
Tatoeba #4207716 by michelnialon, translation #3908657 by CH
Ziri lui a dit.
Ziri told him.
Tatoeba #10910243 by Amastan, translation #10222208 by Amastan
Je lui ai parlé.
I spoke to him.
Il lui a offert un cadeau.
He gave him a gift.
Demandez-lui son nom.
Ask him his name.
Je le vois souvent.
I see him often.
Elle l'aime beaucoup.
She loves him a lot.
Donne-le-lui!
Give it to him!
Je l'aime.
I love him.
Il l'adore.
He adores him.
Lui as-tu parlé?
Did you speak to him?
Il se lave.
He washes himself.
Il s'est fait mal.
He hurt himself.
4571 more sentences on Tatoeba

Lucas and Emma are talking about their friend Marc.

Sources

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