Verbs of Perception

Word order with French verbs of perception depends on whether the infinitive has a subject and/or object* and whether these are nouns or pronouns.

1. When the infinitive has either a subject pronoun or object pronoun, it must be placed in front of the main verb:

Subject

   J'entends les enfants arriver
   (I hear the children arriving)
   Je les entends arriver

   Je regarde la fille écrire
   (I see the girl writing)
   Je la regarde écrire

Object

   J'entends lire l'histoire
   (I hear the story being read)
   Je l'entends lire

   Je vois coudre une robe
   (I see the dress being sewn)
   Je la vois coudre


2. If the infinitive has a non-pronoun direct object and no subject, it must be placed after the infinitive.

   J'entends lire l'histoire
   (I hear the story being read)

   Je vois coudre une robe
   (I see the dress being sewn)

   Je regarde nettoyer la chambre
   (I'm watching the room being cleaned)


3. If the infinitive has a non-pronoun subject and no object, the subject can be placed either before or after the infinitive:

   J'entends les enfants arriver
   J'entends arriver les enfants
   (I hear the children arriving)

   Je regarde la fille écrire
   Je regarde écrire la fille
   (I'm watching the girl write)

   Je sens le vent souffler
   Je sens souffler le vent
   (I feel the wind blowing)


4. If the infinitive has a non-pronoun subject as well as an object, you must place the subject in front of the infinitive and the object after it.

   J'entends les enfants casser le jouet
   (I hear the children breaking the toy)

   Je regarde le monsieur écrire une lettre
   (I'm watching the man write a letter)

   Je sens le vent caresser ma peau
   (I feel the wind caressing my skin)


5. If the subject is a pronoun (a), it precedes the conjugated verb. If the object is a pronoun (b), it precedes the infinitive.

   a: Je les entends casser le jouet
   (I hear them breaking the toy)
   b: J'entends les enfants le casser
   (I hear the children breaking it)

   a: Je le regarde écrire une lettre
   (I'm watching him write a letter)
   b: Je regarde un monsieur l'écrire
   (I'm watching a man write it)

   a: Je le sens caresser ma peau
   (I feel it caressing my skin)
   b: Je sens le vent la caresser
   (I feel the wind caressing it)


6. If both the subject and object are pronouns, you must place the subject in front of the main verb and the object after it:

   Je les entends le casser
   (I hear them breaking it)

   Je le regarde l'écrire
   (I'm watching him write it)

   Je le sens la caresser
   (I feel it caressing it)


*How do you know whether the noun or pronoun that precedes the verb is the subject or the direct object? If it is the person or thing performing the action of the infinitive, it is the subject of the infinitive. If it is not performing the action but rather is being performed by the infinitive, it is the direct object.


Page 1: Introduction to French verbs of perception
Page 2: Word order with verbs of perception
Page 3: Agreement with verbs of perception

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