These are pronouns that replace nouns that directly complement the verb without a preposition in between. If you can ask the questions WHAT? or WHO? after the verb, and if you can get a direct answer without having a prepositions such as À (à le = au, à les = aux) in the answer, then you have a DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUN.

The DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS are:

Note that me, te, le, and la adopt the elided forms m', t',and l' before verbs beginning with a vowel, or a mute h.

Read the following example and follow the explanations:

• As-tu vu le film Les misérables?
  
  1. Ask the question QUOI for things and QUI for people after the verb : As-tu vu quoi (asked after the verb)? Le film (there is no preposition between the verb and the complement- it is a direct complement).
  2. Then choose among the list of direct object pronouns the one that can replace the noun le film (masc. sing.) or it . The pronoun LE is the appropriate one, but because of the auxiliary person in the answer which is ai and which starts with a vowel, LE has to be replaced by L' .
     
• Oui, je l' ai vu / Non, je ne l' ai pas vu.
  

Read other examples to familiarize yourself with direct object pronouns :

• As-tu écouté les chansons d'Isabelle Boulay? (As-tu écouté QUOI? les chansons - NOTE that in French, one listens something or somebody , not to something or to somebody . It is a direct object and has to be replaced by: LES.
  
• Non, je ne les ai pas encore écoutées. Est-ce qu'elles sont belles ?

NOTE that some verbs (e.g., ECOUTER, REGARDER, ATTENDRE ) unlike English, use DIRECT OBJECT PRONOUNS in French.

• Est-ce tu attends Amélie?
• Oui, je l'attends parce que nous allons au cinéma ensemble.
  
• Est-ce que tu as regardé le documentaire sur Versailles?
• Oui, je l'ai regardé et j'ai appris beaucoup de choses.