Understanding French Subject Pronouns (Les pronoms personnels sujets) for Hindi Speakers: A Beginner’s Guide

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

If you are learning French at the A1 level and come from a Hindi-speaking background, one of the first and most important things to master is les pronoms personnels sujets—the subject pronouns in French. These small but powerful words help you say who is doing an action and are essential for building sentences.

In this blog post, we will explore what French subject pronouns are, when and why to use each one, and compare them with similar concepts in Hindi grammar. You will also find clear examples with English translations and a Hindi pronunciation guide (in Roman script). By the end, you will feel confident using these pronouns and understanding their role in simple French sentences.

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What Are Les Pronoms Personnels Sujets?

Subject pronouns replace the subject (the person or thing doing the action) in a sentence. In English, these are words like I, you, he, she, we, they. French subject pronouns do the same but have their own forms:

French Subject Pronouns	English Equivalent	Hindi Equivalent
je	I	मैं (main)
tu	you (informal)	तुम (tum)
il	he/it (masculine)	वह (vah)
elle	she/it (feminine)	वह (vah)
nous	we	हम (hum)
vous	you (formal/plural)	आप (aap)
ils	they (masculine)	वे (ve)
elles	they (feminine)	वे (ve)

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When and Why Do We Use Each Subject Pronoun?

Each pronoun is used depending on who is performing the action and the level of formality. Let’s look at them in detail:

1. Je (I)

Used when you talk about yourself.
Example:

• French: Je parle français.
• English: I speak French.
• Hindi Pronunciation: ज्- पा-र्ल फ्राँसै (Je parle français)

2. Tu (You – informal)

Used when speaking to one person informally (friends, family).
Example:

• French: Tu manges une pomme.
• English: You eat an apple.
• Hindi Pronunciation: तु मोंज उन पोम (Tu manges une pomme)

3. Il / Elle (He / She / It)

Used for talking about one male/female person or thing.
Example:

• French: Il est étudiant.
• English: He is a student.
• Hindi Pronunciation: इल ए अत्तुडिअं (Il est étudiant)

4. Nous (We)

Used to talk about a group including yourself.
Example:

• French: Nous habitons à Paris.
• English: We live in Paris.
• Hindi Pronunciation: नूज़ अबीतों अ पारी (Nous habitons à Paris)

5. Vous (You – formal/plural)

Used when speaking formally to one person or to many people.
Example:

• French: Vous êtes professeur.
• English: You are a teacher.
• Hindi Pronunciation: वू ज़ेत प्रॉफेसर (Vous êtes professeur)

6. Ils / Elles (They)

Used for groups of males or mixed gender (ils) or females only (elles).
Example:

• French: Ils jouent au football.
• English: They play football.
• Hindi Pronunciation: इल ज़ू औ फुटबॉल (Ils jouent au football)

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How Are These Different or Similar to Hindi?

In Hindi, pronouns also indicate who is performing the action, but the usage can be more flexible depending on respect and formality. Hindi distinguishes तुम (tum) and आप (aap) based on respect, just like French tu and vous. Similarly:

• मैं (main) = je
• हम (hum) = nous
• वे (ve) = ils/elles

Hindi verbs also change according to tense and pronoun, just like in French, but the forms are different.

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Understanding French Tenses with Pronouns (Simplified for A1 Level)

At the beginner level, you mostly use the present tense with subject pronouns to talk about current habits, facts, or actions happening now.

Present Tense Rules:

• In French, the verb ending changes according to the subject pronoun.
• In Hindi, verb endings also change according to the pronoun and tense, but the verb structure is different.

Example with “parler” (to speak):

Pronoun	French Sentence	English Translation	Hindi Pronunciation
Je	Je parle français.	I speak French.	ज्-पा-र्ल फ्राँसै
Tu	Tu parles anglais.	You speak English.	तु पार्ल आंग्ले
Il/Elle	Il parle espagnol.	He speaks Spanish.	इल पार्ल एस्पान्यो
Nous	Nous parlons français.	We speak French.	नूज़ पार्लों फ्राँसै
Vous	Vous parlez italien.	You speak Italian.	वू पार्ले इटालियाँ
Ils/Elles	Ils parlent allemand.	They speak German.	इल पार्ल अलेमाँ

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Hindi Comparison: Habitual and Completed Actions

• In Hindi, habitual actions (something you usually do) often use the present tense, e.g., “मैं पढ़ता हूँ” (main padhta hoon).
• Completed past actions use the past tense, e.g., “मैंने खाना खाया” (maine khana khaya).

Similarly, French uses different tenses (present, passé composé) depending on the time frame, but at A1 level, focus on mastering present tense and subject pronouns first.

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Summary Chart of French Subject Pronouns and Hindi Equivalents

French Pronoun	Meaning	Hindi Pronoun	Usage Example (French)	English Translation
Je	I	मैं (main)	Je mange.	I eat.
Tu	You (informal)	तुम (tum)	Tu vas.	You go.
Il	He/It (m)	वह (vah)	Il travaille.	He works.
Elle	She/It (f)	वह (vah)	Elle danse.	She dances.
Nous	We	हम (hum)	Nous venons.	We come.
Vous	You (formal/pl)	आप (aap)	Vous écoutez.	You listen.
Ils	They (m/mix)	वे (ve)	Ils parlent.	They speak.
Elles	They (f)	वे (ve)	Elles étudient.	They study.

• Mastering Le Passé Composé and Agreement of the Past Participle in French
• Understanding “Le Passé Composé” and “L’Imparfait”: When to Use Each Tense
• Demystifying Subject Pronouns: Their Importance and Usage in Language
• Simple ways to say ‘me’ in French with relevant examples
• Mastering Spanish Conjugation: The Present Tense Made Easy for Hindi and English Speakers