COD vs COI in French: How to Tell Them Apart in 5 Minutes

If you searched "COD vs COI", you want a fast rule—not a 40-page grammar book. This guide gives you the quickest way to tell COD (complément d'objet direct) from COI (complément d'objet indirect), with TEF/TCF-ready examples.

For the full pronoun system (le / la / les / lui / leur / y / en), also read our longer guide: French object pronouns COD/COI.

COD vs COI in One Sentence

• COD = the object receives the action directly (no preposition). Pronouns: me, te, le, la, nous, vous, les

The 10-Second Test

Take the noun object and ask:

1) Can I replace it with le / la / les?

If yes → usually COD.

Je vois Marie. → Je la vois.
J'achète les livres. → Je les achète.

2) Does the verb need à before a person?

If yes → usually → .

COD vs COI Comparison Table

Mini Decision Flow

1. Find the verb.
2. Find the object noun.
3. Is there à + person? → COI (lui/leur)
4. No preposition and object is a thing/person acted on directly? → COD (le/la/les)
5. Is it à + place/thing? → often y, not lui
6. Is it ? → often

High-Frequency Verb Lists (Memorize These)

Common COD verbs

• voir, regarder, écouter, attendre
• aimer, connaître, comprendre
• prendre, mettre, acheter, vendre
• aider, inviter, rencontrer

Tu écoutes la chanson ? → Tu l'écoutes ?

Double Pronoun Reminder (COD + COI)

Order matters in French:

me/te/nous/vous → le/la/les → lui/leur → y → en → verb

Je donne le livre à Paul.
→ Je le lui donne.

Examiners love this pattern in writing and cloze grammar items.

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COD vs COI in Passé Composé

COD before the verb → past participle agrees

La lettre ? Je l'ai écrite.
Les photos ? Je les ai prises.

COI does not trigger that agreement

Je lui ai parlé. (no agreement with lui)
Je leur ai écrit. 

If you mix this up on TEF/TCF writing, you leak easy points.

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12 Rapid COD vs COI Drills

Choose COD or COI, then rewrite with a pronoun.

1. Je regarde le film.
2. Je parle à mon amie.
3. Nous attendons le bus.
4. Elle téléphone à ses parents.
5. Tu achètes la robe ?

TEF/TCF Exam Tips

• In speaking, lui/leur mistakes make you sound B1 even if vocabulary is strong.
• In writing, agreement with COD is a classic B2 checkpoint.
• If unsure in speech, rephrase with the noun first, then convert: Je parle à Paul… je lui parle.

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Practice Beyond Grammar Pages

Knowing the rule is step one. Using it under exam pressure is step two.

On PrepMyFrench you can:

• Get writing corrections that catch COD/COI errors automatically