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il
/il/
he
Il parle français.
He speaks French.
formal
Third-person masculine singular subject pronoun referring to a male person or thing previously mentioned or easily identified.
Il est médecin.
He is a doctor.
Le livre est sur la table. Il est intéressant.
The book is on the table. It is interesting.
Used for both animate (people) and inanimate (objects, animals) referents in French. Do not confuse with 'elle' (she/it feminine) or 'on' (informal 'we').
Pro Tip
Gender Matching
Always match 'il' with masculine nouns or male referents. For feminine nouns or female referents, use 'elle'.
Gold Rule
Impersonal 'il'
Use 'il' for impersonal expressions like 'il faut' (it is necessary), 'il y a' (there is/are), and weather verbs like 'il pleut' (it is raining).
Word Origin
From Old French 'il' (he), from Latin 'ille' (that, he), from Proto-Italic '*ezo', from Proto-Indo-European '*e-' (he, that). Cognate with Spanish 'él', Italian 'egli', and Portuguese 'ele'.
Usage Notes
In spoken French, 'il' is often contracted with the verb (e.g., 'il est' → 'y est' in informal speech). 'Il' is also used impersonally for weather, time, and general statements (e.g., 'Il fait beau' = 'It is nice out').
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais