/lœʁ/
Translation
their, to them
Word origin
From Latin illorum ('of those, their'), the genitive plural of ille ('that'). It serves both as the possessive 'their' and as the indirect object pronoun 'to them'.
- Origin
- Latin
- Root
- illorum
Examples
.
Their house is two kilometres from the village centre.
.
I sent them a message this morning but got no reply.
professeure .
The children showed their project to their form teacher.
.
I lent them my car for two days.
.
Their house is right next to ours.
a deux fonctions : adjectif possessif (leur maison, leurs amis - le pluriel prend un s) et pronom personnel COI invariable (je leur parle - I talk to them, je le leur donne - I give it to them). Cette double fonction est source de confusion pour les apprenants.
En tant que pronom COI, leur est invariable - contrairement à l'adjectif possessif pluriel leurs. Le truc : si on peut substituer à eux/elles, c'est le pronom (je leur dis = je dis à eux) ; si le nom suit, c'est l'adjectif (leur maison = la maison d'eux).
Where this fits
Used in
Grammar articles
(14)Avoiding the Passive in French: on, se and the Active Recast
French Grammar Cheatsheet: The Essentials, One Page
Reported Speech in French: Tense Backshift (dit que, a dit que)
dont in Depth: The French de Relative Pronoun
Faire causatif: Having Things Done in French
The French Future Perfect: futur antérieur
French Intermediate Grammar (B1-B2): The Things That Stop You at the Plateau
French Object Pronouns: me, te, le, la, lui, nous, vous, leur and the Preverbal Position
French Possessive Pronouns: le mien, le tien, le sien, le nôtre, le vôtre, le leur
French Possessives: mon, ma, mes and the mon-Before-Vowel Trap
French Pronouns Y and EN: there, some, of it, of them
Reported Questions and Commands in French
French Stressed Pronouns: moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles
French Word Order: SVO, the Object Pronoun Inversion, and Six Rules That Cover 90% of Sentences
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leur: worksheet, infographic and listicle
Free printable study downloads for the French word "leur" (their, to them): a worksheet with the answer key built in, an infographic, and a sentence listicle. Open any one to view, print or save.
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Start your free weekThis word is part of lesson 3.