I am struggling with (among other things) the difference between COD and COI. Also, when to use Y or En.
Is there an online resource for help?
Might help if you give a legend. I have no idea what any of these are =). Also may help to say what language you are referring to as you are in the “open forum”
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In French, COD stands for complément d’objet direct (direct object), while COI stands for complément d’objet indirect (indirect object). French Pronouns: En vs. Y
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Fast explanation:
I give you a pen
you : coi
a pen: cod
what you give or who(m) you see are cod’s, to whom you give something is a coi.
as a rule of thumb: if you can reword something by putting a “to” in front, it’s probably coi
I give you a pen = I give a pen to you.
Also, trying putting questions. If you ask “What do you…?” or “Who do you…” the answers are cods. If you ask “Who … to?” the answer is a coi
Tom Killed Bill? Who did Tom Kill? → Cod
Look what Tom did to Bill. Who did Tom do that to? To Bill → Coi
In French Cod’s have no prepositions and COIs have à (sometimes other prepositions) in front (equivalent to “to”)
Je donne un cadeau = cadeau cod
Je donne un cadeau à Pierre → coi
Again, brief summary:
En replaces “de + something”
Y replaces “à + something”
J’ai des pommes = J’en ai
Je vais à la gare = j’y vais
[Edit] As for more detailed explanations, I recommend the YT channel “Français avec Pierre” All videos are in French with subtitles, which you can import to Lingq, provide lots of examples, are pronounced very clearly and usually provide “fiches récapitulatives” (written explanations).
For example, fiche for “en/y” with embedded video:
https://www.francaisavecpierre.com/les-pronoms-en-et-y-en-francais/
Français authentique is also helpful for similar reasons. This is their take on cod/coi:
Great explanation! Many thanks!