Normally, when a French verb takes an indirect human object with à, you replace the object with a pronoun placed right in front of the verb (Je parle au dirigeant becomes Je lui parle).
But with a specific group of verbs, the pronoun cannot move to the front. Instead, the preposition à stays anchored right after the verb, followed by a stressed pronoun.
Here is a quick review of the stressed pronouns:
| English | French |
|---|---|
| me | moi |
| you | toi |
| him / her | lui / elle |
| us | nous |
| you (plural/formal) | vous |
| them (m. / f.) | eux / elles |
One common verb that works this way is songer à (to think of):
| The leader is strict, but I am thinking of him. | Le dirigeant est sévère, mais je songe à lui. |
| The leader no longer thinks of me. | Le dirigeant ne songe plus à moi. |
Another frequently used expression in this category is faire appel à (to call upon):
| The team no longer calls upon them. | L'équipe ne fait plus appel à eux. |
| The students are here, we are calling upon them. | Les étudiantes sont là, nous faisons appel à elles. |
Reflexive Verbs with "à"
A helpful rule of thumb: almost all reflexive verbs (verbs with se or s') followed by à use a stressed pronoun for human objects. Because these verbs already have a reflexive pronoun in front (me, te, se), they cannot accept a second pronoun like lui or leur in that same spot.
| He is getting attached to her, even if she is far away. | Il s'attache à elle, même si elle est loin. |
| You must speak to him personally. | Vous devez vous adresser à lui personnellement. |
| The opponents are strong, but we oppose them. | Les adversaires sont forts, mais nous nous opposons à eux. |
| I believe that the successor is joining us. | Je crois que le successeur se joint à nous. |