Tu et je - French Mistake

Mistakes will always be made in French, and now you can learn from them.

Wrong: Tu et je devons partir.

Right: Toi et moi devons partir.

Explanation: In English, subject pronouns come before verbs - whether or not they are connected by a conjunction. So when you add another person to "I have to leave," it becomes "you and I have to leave." In French, however, the conjunction changes the type of pronoun you need. Je dois partir needs the subject pronoun, but you can't say "tu et je devons partir" - it's just wrong. When adding et, the subject pronouns have to change to stressed pronouns: toi et moi devons partir. Same for any other subjects: "He and she work together" is Lui et elle travaillent ensemble, not "Il et elle travaillent ensemble." The only time you can use subject pronouns in French is when there's just one subject.

Related lessons:
   Subject pronouns
   Stressed pronouns
   Conjunctions