When something is given, said or prescribed to someone, French marks that person with me, te, lui, nous, vous or leur, placed before the verb. Lui covers both him and her. These go with verbs that would take à plus a person: donner à, dire à, prescrire à.
Examples
- Le médecin me donne une ordonnance.
- The doctor gives me a prescription.
- Je lui ai expliqué mes symptômes.
- I explained my symptoms to him.
- Le pharmacien nous a conseillé ce sirop.
- The pharmacist recommended this syrup to us.
The mistake to avoid
Lui is the same for a man and a woman - it marks the role, not the gender.
Where this fits in
Body, health & feelings, French A2: Talk about your body, common illnesses, and how you feel. Visit a doctor or pharmacy and describe symptoms.