Je le prends.

I

Breakdown of Je le prends.

• prendre: to take
• le: it

Questions & Answers about Je le prends.

What is the function of the pronoun le in the sentence "Je le prends"?

Le is a direct object pronoun that replaces a previously mentioned masculine singular noun. It stands in for “it” (or “him,” depending on context) so that you do not have to repeat the noun.

Why is le placed before the verb in this sentence?

In French, the standard rule is that object pronouns are placed immediately before the conjugated verb. That’s why we say "Je le prends" instead of placing le after the verb.

What is the form and tense of the verb prends, and how does it align with the subject Je?

Prends is the first-person singular form of the verb prendre in the present tense. It agrees with the subject Je (meaning “I”), indicating that the action is currently being performed by the speaker.

If the noun being replaced were mentioned directly instead of using a pronoun, how might the sentence look?

Without the pronoun, the sentence would include the explicit noun. For example, if the object were “the book,” the sentence would be "Je prends le livre." Once the noun is clear from the context, you can replace it with le to avoid repetition.

How would the sentence change if the object being taken were feminine or plural?

If the replaced noun were feminine singular, le would change to la, resulting in "Je la prends." For a plural object (regardless of gender), you would use les, making the sentence "Je les prends."