Pronoun position with infinitive constructions

French logic is usually very consistent.

When you use one verb, the pronoun comes first.

You say je le vois.

But adding a second verb changes the focus.

The second verb is the real action.

If you say "I want to see it," "see" is the goal.

In French, pronouns love the infinitive.

They cling to it like a magnet.

The conjugated verb just sets the mood.

It tells us if you "want," "can," or "must."

The infinitive tells us what is actually happening.

Therefore, the pronoun sits before the infinitive.

It does not sit before the first verb.

This is different from English word order.

In English, we say "I want to see it."

The "it" comes at the very end.

In French, we say je veux le voir.

The le jumps before the voir.

It stays protected between the two verbs.

This pattern applies to direct objects.

It also applies to indirect objects.

Even reflexive pronouns like me follow this.

It is a universal rule for infinitive constructions.

1. 1Building these sentences is a three-step process.
2. 2Follow these steps to avoid any confusion.
3. 3Choose your primary conjugated verb first.
4. 4This is usually aller, vouloir, or pouvoir.
5. 5Example: je vais (I am going).
6. 6Identify your object or reflexive pronoun.
7. 7Example: le (it) or me (myself).
8. 8Place the pronoun before the infinitive verb.
9. 9Example: regarder (to watch).
10. 10Now, put them all together.
11. 11Je vais + le + regarder.
12. 12Result: Je vais le regarder.
13. 13This means "I am going to watch it."
14. 14If the sentence is negative, be careful.
15. 15The ne...pas only hugs the first verb.
16. 16Example: Je ne vais pas le regarder.
17. 17The pronoun stays glued to the infinitive.
18. 18It never leaves its partner's side.
19. 19Think of the pronoun and infinitive as a couple.
20. 20They always walk into the room together.
21. 21The first verb is just the doorman.
22. 22It opens the door but doesn't join the party.

You will use this pattern constantly.

It is very common in daily conversation.

Use it with the Near Future tense.

This is the aller + infinitive construction.

Example: Je vais lui téléphoner.

"I am going to call him."

Use it with modal verbs like devoir.

Example: Tu dois le faire.

"You must do it."

Use it with verbs of preference.

Example: J'aime t'écouter.

"I love listening to you."

Use it when ordering food at a cafe.

Je voudrais le goûter.

"I would like to taste it."

Use it when asking for directions.

Pouvez-vous m'aider ?

"Can you help me?"

Use it in professional job interviews.

Je peux vous envoyer mon CV.

"I can send you my CV."

It makes your French sound very natural.

Native speakers use this in every sentence.

It flows better than repeating the noun.

Instead of le gâteau, just use le.

Do not use this if there is only one verb.

If the verb is simple, the pronoun moves.

Example: Je le mange (I eat it).

Here, the pronoun comes before the conjugated verb.

There is no infinitive to cling to.

The pronoun has no choice but the first verb.

Also, avoid this in the imperative mood.

Commands like "Do it!" have their own rules.

You would say Fais-le !

The pronoun goes after the verb there.

But for 90% of your A1 conversations, stick to the sandwich.

If you see an infinitive, use the middle spot.

If the verb is passé composé, it is different.

In passé composé, the pronoun comes before avoir.

Example: Je l'ai vu (I saw it).

This can be a bit confusing at first.

Just remember: infinitives are special.

They are the only verbs that "steal" the pronoun.

If you don't see an infinitive, stay in front.

Yes, even native speakers mess this up sometimes!

They might hesitate for a split second.

But they always find the right spot eventually.

The most common error is the English habit.

Learners often put the pronoun at the end.

✗ Je veux voir le.

This sounds very broken to a French ear.

Another mistake is putting it too early.

✗ Je le veux voir.

While this was okay in Old French, it is wrong now.

Modern French requires the pronoun near the infinitive.

Do not let the ne...pas trip you up.

✗ Je ne le vais pas voir.

Remember, the ne...pas only cares about verb one.

It wants to trap the conjugated verb.

It leaves the pronoun and infinitive alone.

Think of it like a grammar traffic light.

The ne...pas is the red light for the first verb.

The pronoun and infinitive have a green light.

They keep moving forward together.

Also, watch out for vowels and apostrophes.

Me becomes m' before a vowel.

Je veux m'amuser (I want to have fun).

Forgetting the apostrophe is a frequent slip-up.

Let's compare the two main positions.

Position A: Simple tense.

Je t'aime (I love you).

The pronoun is in the very front.

Position B: Infinitive construction.

Je veux t'aimer (I want to love you).

The pronoun moves to the middle.

See the difference?

The addition of veux pushes the pronoun back.

It is like a game of musical chairs.

When the second verb sits down, the pronoun moves.

Think of the pronoun as a bodyguard.

In a simple sentence, it guards the main verb.

In a complex sentence, it guards the action.

The action is always the infinitive verb.

Compare Je les achète (I buy them).

Now look at Je vais les acheter (I will buy them).

The les stays with acheter.

It doesn't care about vais.

Vais is just the helper.

Acheter is the star of the show.