#the difference between les, leur, and eux

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rain whaleBOT
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the difference between les, leur, and eux

ivory knot
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they are different kinds of pronouns.

just before getting into it, I just want to ask something.
You know what "les" means as an article right? (before a noun, plural and definite)
Because "les" can both an article (introducing a noun) and a pronoun (which is probably the part that is confusing to you)

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  • j'aime les chats (I love cats) / article, you're probably familiar with it
  • je les vois (I see them) / pronoun, probably what you're asking about
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@ionic spoke

ionic spoke
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Yes I do know that, I just get confused when it's used a s a pronoun 😅

ivory knot
# ionic spoke Yes I do know that, I just get confused when it's used a s a pronoun 😅

All three (les, leur, eux) can be translated as "them" in the right case.
The difference is grammatical.

"les" is a direct object pronoun.
It's used when it's the direct object of a verb. First of, an object is what the verb is acting on.
In the sentence "Je vois mes amis", the verb "voir" is acting on "mes amis". "mes amis" is the object. It's also a direct object, because there is no preposition between the verb and the object. The object is directly following the verb. (note: the preposition choice is based on the verb)
If you want to replace "mes amis" with something generic, you would have to use the pronoun "les": "je les vois"

leur is an indirect object pronoun
It's very similar, but is used when the object is indirect. Which means, when there is a preposition between the verb and the object.
In the sentence "Je parle à mes amis", the verb "parle" is acting on "mes amis", but also uses the preposition "à".
You can replace the preposition as well as the object "mes amis" with the indirect object pronoun "leur": "je leur parle"

eux is a stressed pronoun
It's used for emphasis as well as specific constructions. It's the main translation of "them" when it's not the object of a verb.
"Mes amis, je les vois" is a sentence that first introduces the object, then acts on it using the sentence seen above. This might seem strange, but this kind of subject/object repetition is very common in French. If you want to replace "mes amis" with a pronoun, which would be used for emphasis in this case, you'd have to use "eux": "Eux, je les vois"
Some constructions also use stressed pronouns. "penser à" for instance is an exception in that it uses a stressed pronoun instead of an object pronoun:
"je pense à mes amis" -> "je pense à eux" (not "je leur pense"!)

ionic spoke
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Thanks!