Intensive Pronouns in French: A Guide with Examples

Intensive pronouns in French are used to emphasize a subject, object, or possessive pronoun. They serve to highlight the importance of a person or thing in a sentence. These pronouns correspond to the English words like “myself,” “yourself,” “himself,” or simply “him,” “her,” “them” when used for emphasis.

1. What Are Intensive Pronouns in French?

In French, intensive pronouns are the disjunctive pronouns (also called emphatic pronouns) that reinforce the subject or object of a sentence. They are as follows:

2. Uses of Intensive Pronouns in French

A. To Emphasize the Subject

When you want to stress who is performing the action.

• Moi, je vais au marché.
  (As for me, I’m going to the market.)
• Lui, il a gagné le concours.
  (He, he won the contest.)

B. To Highlight Ownership or Relation

Used for emphasis in possessive structures.

• C’est à moi !
  (It’s mine!)
• Ce livre est pour elle.
  (This book is for her.)

C. After Certain Prepositions

Intensive pronouns are used after prepositions.

• Avec toi, tout est possible.
  (With you, everything is possible.)
• Sans eux, nous ne pouvons pas réussir.
  (Without them, we cannot succeed.)

D. In Comparative or Contrasting Statements

Used to emphasize the difference between two people or things.

• Toi et moi, nous sommes différents.
  (You and I, we are different.)
• Eux, ils préfèrent le café.
  (They, they prefer coffee.)

E. In Reflexive or Emphatic Situations

To emphasize reflexive actions.

• Il a fait cela lui-même.
  (He did it himself.)
• Nous devons résoudre ce problème nous-mêmes.
  (We need to solve this problem ourselves.)

3. Examples in Context

1. Emphasizing the Subject
   • Moi, je veux voyager en France.
     (Me, I want to travel to France.)
   • Elle, elle adore le chocolat.
     (She, she loves chocolate.)
2. Highlighting Ownership or Relation
   • C’est pour moi.
     (It’s for me.)
   • Le cadeau est à lui.
     (The gift belongs to him.)
3. Prepositions
   • Nous sommes partis sans toi.
     (We left without you.)
   • Je vais avec elle.
     (I’m going with her.)
4. Comparisons
   • Toi, tu préfères la mer, mais moi, je préfère la montagne.
     (You prefer the sea, but I prefer the mountains.)
5. Reflexive Emphasis
   • Elle a préparé le repas elle-même.
     (She prepared the meal herself.)
   • Ils ont construit leur maison eux-mêmes.
     (They built their house themselves.)

4. Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Confusing Subject Pronouns with Intensive Pronouns
  • Incorrect: Moi suis content.
  • Correct: Moi, je suis content.
    (I, I am happy.)
• Using the Wrong Pronoun for Emphasis
  • Incorrect: C’est à lui-même.
  • Correct: C’est à lui.
    (It’s his.)

5. Practice Sentences

Fill in the blanks with the correct intensive pronoun:

1. ___, je pense que c’est une bonne idée. (As for me)
2. *Ils sont venus sans ___. (them)
3. *Nous avons réparé la voiture ___. (ourselves)
4. *C’est un secret entre toi et ___. (me)
5. *Elle a écrit ce poème ___. (herself)

6. Summary

Intensive pronouns in French are used to add emphasis to a subject, object, or possession. Mastering these pronouns will not only improve your sentence structure but also allow you to express nuances more effectively in French.

You can take the multiple-choice quiz.

French intensive pronouns, also known as stressed pronouns, are used to refer to subjects or objects that are already known in a sentence and emphasize them. With this exercise, you’ll learn how to use these pronouns. Choose the pronouns that match the sentence.