lui a

… him

→ lui

phrase Extremely common #330

… him In French, words like "to him" or "to her" (both are lui) go right before the action, rather than after it like in English. When talking about the past, French uses a little helper word a ("has") before the main action, and lui sits right in front of that too. For example, because French treats "calling someone" as "calling to someone", « Marie lui a téléphoné » (literally "Marie to-him has called") simply means "Marie called him" or "Marie called her."

FR: Marie lui a téléphoné hier.

EN: Marie called him yesterday.

Son salaire élevé lui a permis de vivre dans le confort.

His high salary allowed him to live in comfort.

La misère lui a appris à se débrouiller seul.

Poverty taught him to fend for himself.

Calcifer lui a obéi !

Calcifer obeyed him!

— Le Château ambulant (2004)

M. Carlos lui a même donné de l'argent !

Mr. Carlos even gave him money!

— Une seconde mère (2015)

Son assiduité lui a rapporté le succès.

His diligence brought him success.

Yamagata lui a même demandé s'il était bien Tetsuo.

Yamagata even asked him if he was really Tetsuo.

— Akira (1988)

Pourquoi votre fille les lui a cachées ?

Why did your daughter hide them from him?

— Ne le dis à personne (2006)

Ça lui a pas plu.

He didn't like it.

— Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die (2026)

Le coiffeur lui a coupé les cheveux.

The barber cut his hair.

La petite abeille lui a tout raconté.

The little bee told her everything.

— Gladiator (2000)

Alors quelqu’un d’autre lui a tout acheté ?

So someone else bought everything for him?

Vador lui a tendu un piège.

Vader set a trap for him.

— L'Empire contre-attaque (1980)

Ton sirop lui a fait du bien.

Your syrup did them some good.

— Marche à l'ombre (1984)

Elle croit ce qu'on lui a enseigné.

She believes what she has been taught.

Cette banderole lui a vraiment fait du mal.

That banner really hurt him.

— God of Cookery (1996)

La balle lui a effleuré la joue.

The bullet grazed his cheek.

Le médecin lui a prescrit de prendre des vacances.

The doctor prescribed him to take a vacation.

Elle dit que Joo-hwan lui a tout raconté et que tu sais tout.

She says that Joo-hwan told her everything and that you know everything.

— Old Boy (2003)

Quel est le fils de pute qui lui a jeté un sort ?

Which son of a bitch cast a spell on him?

— Night Watch (2004)

Sa mère lui a tout raconté.

His mother told him everything.

— Mirage (2018)

Tom lui a cassé le bras.

Tom broke his arm.

Il dit que ça lui a beaucoup plu.

He says he really enjoyed it.

Le médecin lui a conseillé d'arrêter de fumer.

The doctor advised him to stop smoking.

Ça lui a sauvé la vie.

It saved his life.

L'un d'eux lui a sauvé la vie.

One of them saved his life.

— Presque Célèbre (2000)

Ça lui a peut-être valu d'être tué.

That may have gotten him killed.

— Wake Up Dead Man : Une histoire à couteaux tirés (2025)

Ma puissance mentale et physique lui a paru désirable.

My mental and physical strength seemed desirable to him.

— Une bataille après l'autre (2025)

Sans crier gare, l'homme à six doigts lui a transpercé le cœur.

Without warning, the six-fingered man pierced his heart.

— Princess Bride (1987)

Le policier lui a permis de se garer là.

The policeman allowed him to park there.

Elle habite chez notre mère, mais elle ne lui a rien dit.

She lives with our mother, but she hasn't told her anything.

— Tout sur ma mère (1999)

La nouvelle lui a porté un rude coup.

The news came as a severe blow to him.

La bienvenue que lui a faite sa famille l'a ému aux larmes.

The welcome he received from his family moved him to tears.

Sa diligence lui a permis de réussir.

His diligence allowed him to succeed.

Qui lui a tiré dessus ?

Who shot him?

La nouvelle lui a porté un coup dur.

The news came as a heavy blow to him.

Tom lui a tiré dessus.

Tom shot him.

Le soleil lui a grillé le crâne ou il cherchait un truc.

The sun either scorched his skull or he was looking for something.

— Interstellar (2014)

Qu'est-ce qui le lui a fait faire ?

What made him do it?

Il crache même ce qu'on lui a pas demandé.

He even spits out things no one asked for.

— Carandiru (2003)

Suellen lui a prêté le Whitecap pour les amener tous ici.

Suellen lent her the Whitecap to bring them all here.

Qui la lui a donnée ?

Who gave it to her?

— Full River Red (2023)

Quelqu'un lui a tiré dessus.

Someone shot him.

L'infirmière lui a recommandé d'essayer de marcher.

The nurse recommended that he try walking.

Marie a accepté l'emploi que Tom lui a proposé.

Marie accepted the job Tom offered her.

Ezequiel lui a déjà parlé et elle est d'accord.

Ezequiel has already spoken to her, and she agrees.

— Carandiru (2003)

Personne ne lui a appris à chanter.

No one taught them to sing.

— Les Choristes (2004)

Fengxia lui a déplu, et il abîme la maison ?

Fengxia displeased him, so he’s damaging the house?

— Vivre ! (1994)

Un long entraînement lui a permis de parler couramment l'anglais.

Extensive training enabled him to speak English fluently.

Ses cheveux, c'est son père qui lui a coupés.

It was her father who cut her hair.

— Girlhood (2014)

Elle ne lui a jamais rendu visite.

She never visited him.

Ce mot lui a échappé.

This word escaped him.

Marc Bolan lui a brisé le cœur.

Marc Bolan broke her heart.

— Presque Célèbre (2000)

Et s'il apprend qu'on ne le lui a pas dit, il sera fâché.

And if he finds out that he wasn’t told, he’ll be angry.

— Cinema Paradiso (1988)