C–D. Reading and Writing · Reading and Writing in French: Voices, Stories and Communities

Textos et courriels : Reading Messages in Two Registers and Using Double Object Pronouns

C1.2 C2.1 C3.2 D1.1 D1.3 D3.2About 70 minutes

Learning goals

I can understand a group chat with common French texting abbreviations.
I can compare the purpose, form and register of a text message and a formal email.
I can put two object pronouns in the right order (me, te, nous, vous → le, la, les → lui, leur → y → en).
I can use double pronouns in the passé composé and in commands.
I can write a polite email to a teacher or an organization with the correct greeting and closing.

Words to know

un texto
A text message (un SMS is also used; un texte is common in Québec and other parts of Canada).

un courriel
An email. Courriel was created in Québec and is now recommended across the francophone world; un mail is also heard in France.

l'objet
The subject line of an email.

une formule d'appel
The greeting at the start of a letter or email: Bonjour Madame Dupuis,

une formule de politesse
The polite closing: Cordialement, Je vous remercie de votre aide.

un pronom complément
An object pronoun that replaces a noun: le, la, les, lui, leur, y, en, me, te, nous, vous.

une abréviation
A shortened form of a word: bcp = beaucoup.

Same people, two kinds of writing

In a single evening, you might send twenty texts to friends and one email to a teacher. They are both written messages, but they follow very different rules. Choosing the right form for your reader is a key high school skill.

Remember from Grade 8: you replaced nouns with y and en, with lui and leur, and with pronouns in commands (Remplis-la !). Real messages often need two pronouns at once: Je te les envoie. Today you'll learn the order.

Worked example

Let's read a group chat and a formal email

Message 1: a group chat (written for this lesson)

Léa : slt ! qqn a les notes du cours ? Karim : moi. je te les envoie ce soir Léa : merci bcp !! et la présentation, tu l'as finie ? Karim : pas encore dsl Noah : tkt, je peux la finir. Karim, tu me l'envoies stp ? Karim : ok je te l'envoie dans 5 min Léa : et qui a la clé USB de Mme Dupuis ? Noah : moi. je la lui rends 2m1 Léa : parfait. a+ !

Message 2: an email

Objet : Projet d'histoire, grille d'évaluation

Bonjour Madame Dupuis,

Je vous écris au sujet de notre projet d'histoire. Notre équipe a presque terminé la présentation. Pourriez-vous nous envoyer la grille d'évaluation ? Si possible, pourriez-vous nous l'envoyer avant jeudi ?

Par ailleurs, Noah a votre clé USB. Il vous la rendra demain matin.

Je vous remercie de votre aide.

Cordialement,

Léa Martin Élève de 9e année, groupe 3

Glossaire : qqn = quelqu'un · bcp = beaucoup · dsl = désolé(e) · tkt = t'inquiète (don't worry) · stp = s'il te plaît · 2m1 = demain · a+ = à plus (see you) · rendre = to give back · une grille d'évaluation = a rubric · par ailleurs = also, besides

Main idea of the chat: three classmates organize their history project: who sends the notes, who finishes the presentation, who returns the teacher's USB key.
Form of the chat: no greeting or closing, short lines, abbreviations, few capital letters, tu. Purpose: quick coordination between friends.
Form of the email: an objet (subject line), a formule d'appel (Bonjour Madame Dupuis,), full sentences, vous, the polite conditionnel (Pourriez-vous...?), a formule de politesse (Je vous remercie... Cordialement,), and a signature with her class.
Double pronouns in the chat: je te les envoie (te = à Léa; les = les notes). tu me l'envoies (me = à moi; l' = la présentation). je la lui rends (la = la clé; lui = à Mme Dupuis).
Double pronouns in the email: pourriez-vous nous l'envoyer (nous = à notre équipe; l' = la grille). Il vous la rendra (vous = à Mme Dupuis; la = la clé).
Register comparison: the same fact appears twice: je la lui rends 2m1 (chat) becomes Il vous la rendra demain matin (email). Same information, different register.

The chat and the email share information but follow different conventions. Both use two pronouns before a verb; the order is always the same.

Texts to friends are familier: abbreviations, tu, no greeting. An email to a teacher is soutenu: subject line, greeting, vous, the polite conditionnel, a closing and a signature.

Abréviation	Mot complet	Sens
slt	salut	hi
bcp	beaucoup	a lot
stp / svp	s'il te plaît / s'il vous plaît	please
dsl	désolé(e)	sorry
tkt	t'inquiète (pas)	don't worry
qqn / qqch	quelqu'un / quelque chose	someone / something
pk	pourquoi	why
2m1	demain	tomorrow
a+	à plus (tard)	see you later

Common texting abbreviations. Read them with friends; never use them in an email to a teacher or an employer.

Two pronouns: the order never changes

When a sentence has two object pronouns, they go before the verb in this fixed order:

me, te, se, nous, vous → le, la, l', les → lui, leur → y → en

Karim envoie les notes à Léa. → Karim les lui envoie.
Tu m'envoies la présentation ? → Tu me l'envoies ?
Il donne des conseils aux élèves. → Il leur en donne.
Il y a des pommes. → Il y en a.

Two tricks: lui/leur never sit next to me/te/nous/vous in this order (you won't need me lui), and le/la/les come after me/te but before lui/leur. Say the classic examples out loud until they sound natural: je te le donne, je le lui donne, il y en a.

Two object pronouns always follow this order. Read left to right: te before les; la before lui; y before en.

Double pronouns in other tenses

Passé composé: both pronouns go before the helping verb. Remember the agreement rule from Lesson 4: a direct object placed before avoir makes the participle agree.

Je te l'ai envoyée. (l' = la présentation → -e)
Elle nous les a montrées. (les = les photos → -es)

Futur proche or modal + infinitive: the pronouns go before the infinitive: Je vais te les envoyer. Pourriez-vous nous l'envoyer ?

Negative: ne before the pronouns, pas after the verb: Je ne te les envoie pas. Je ne te l'ai pas envoyée.

Affirmative commands: pronouns go after the verb, joined by hyphens, with the direct object first; me and te become moi and toi:

Envoie-les-moi ! Rends-la-lui ! Donnez-les-leur !
With en: Donne-m'en ! (not moi-en)

Negative commands go back to the normal order: Ne me les envoie pas !

Worked example

Let's write a polite email using double pronouns

You lent your French novel to a classmate, Mathis. You need it for a test. Write a short email to your teacher, Monsieur Okafor, asking if he can remind Mathis to give it back to you, and asking him to send you the test date. Use two double pronouns.

Purpose and audience: a request to a teacher → soutenu: subject line, Bonjour Monsieur Okafor,, vous, polite conditionnel, closing.
Subject line: Objet : Mon roman et la date de l'examen
The situation: J'ai prêté mon roman à Mathis la semaine dernière.
Request with a double pronoun: the novel (le) to me (me): Pourriez-vous lui rappeler de me le rendre ? (me before le).
Second request: the date (la) to me (me): Pourriez-vous aussi me l'envoyer par courriel ?
Closing and signature: Je vous remercie à l'avance. Cordialement, Sofia Ricci, 9e année.

Objet : Mon roman et la date de l'examen

Bonjour Monsieur Okafor,

J'ai prêté mon roman à Mathis la semaine dernière, et j'en ai besoin pour étudier. Pourriez-vous lui rappeler de me le rendre ? J'ai aussi oublié la date de l'examen. Pourriez-vous me l'envoyer par courriel ?

Je vous remercie à l'avance.

Cordialement,

Sofia Ricci, 9e année

Just for fun

French texting turns words into puzzles: 2m1 = demain (say it: deux-m-un), and a+ = à plus. It's the only time a math sign means goodbye.

Hands-on activity

Two registers, one message

You need: a phone or paper, and a family member.

Think of a real small favour (borrowing a charger, getting a ride to practice, returning a book).
Write it as a French text message to a friend: abbreviations allowed, tu, one double pronoun (tu me le prêtes ?).
Write the same request as a formal email to an adult you don't know well (a coach, a librarian): subject line, Bonjour Madame/Monsieur...,, vous, Pourriez-vous...?, one double pronoun (pourriez-vous me le prêter ?), a closing and your name.
Show both to your family member and explain three differences.

Look for: the correct pronoun order, no abbreviations in the email, and a complete greeting and closing. (Don't actually send texts to people who aren't expecting them!)

Your turn

What is the group chat about?

Who will finish the presentation?

In je te les envoie, what do te and les replace?

In je la lui rends, what do la and lui replace?

Name three features of the email that make it formal.

Write slt, bcp and tkt in full.

Why would dsl, je peux pas venir 2m1 be a bad email to a coach?

More practice: warm-up

Which comes first: le or lui?

Which comes first: te or la?

Which comes first: y or en?

What is un courriel?

Give a formal closing for an email.

More practice: on your own

Replace both underlined parts: Je prête mon vélo à Sam.

Replace both: Elle nous montre ses photos.

Replace both in the passé composé: J'ai donné la lettre aux voisins.

Make it negative: Il te l'explique.

Make it a command with pronouns: Tu me donnes le sel.

Challenge

Answer with two pronouns: Tu as envoyé les invitations à tes cousins ? (Yes.)

Correct the errors: Envoie-moi-le ! Je vais lui le donner. Il en y a beaucoup.

Rewrite in a formal register for an email to a store manager: slt, vous avez encore les tuques rouges ? vous pouvez m'en garder une stp ?

Check your understanding

Quiz

Je donne le livre à Marie. →

Il me montre les photos. →

Which command is correct?

Il y a des pommes ? — Oui, il ______ a.

Which is the best greeting for an email to a teacher?

La présentation ? Je te l'ai ______.

tkt means...

For parents and teachers

Big idea: Your child reads two message forms and compares their purpose and conventions (C1.2, C2.1), learns French texting abbreviations and formal email conventions (C3.2, D3.2), writes for a specific reader (D1.1), and masters the order of two object pronouns (D1.3).

How to help:

Ask your child to write you a short formal email in French (from a school email account if they have one) asking for something small. Check for a subject line, greeting, vous, and closing.
Practise the order with fast drills: le livre, à Marie → je le lui donne; les clés, à moi → tu me les donnes.

Common difficulties:

Order mistakes like je lui le donne. The direct pronoun le/la/les comes before lui/leur, but after me/te/nous/vous.
In commands: Donne-le-moi (not Donne-moi-le).
Using texting abbreviations or tu in school emails.

Canadian French note: un courriel was coined in Québec and is used in Québec and other parts of Canada; it is now widely recommended across the francophone world. Un texte for a text message and une tuque are used in Québec and other parts of Canada.