What is ‘they’ in French?

Ils

Elles

............they

Yes, it is indeed the same as if it was a group of people. Objects, people: they're all 'ils' (or 'elles' ) in French.

It would be "Ils" if all items are grammatically masculine and "Elles" if they are all grammatically feminine.

If mixed they are "ils".

It's the same as if they were animate.

There is no distinction between people and objects in pronouns in French. That's why there is no word that exactly matches the pronoun "it".

Distinctions are between the masculine and feminine grammatical gender of nouns.

For a single person/object that is grammatically masculine, "he/she/it" will be "il".

For a group of people/objects that is grammatically masculine, "they" will be "ils".

For a single person/object that is grammatically feminine, "he/she/it" will be "elle".

For a group of people/objects that is grammatically feminine, "they" will be "elles".

A group is grammatically masculine when it has at least one masculine element.

A group is grammatically feminine when it has only feminine elements.

For example :

- Cette personne (this person) => elle (even if it's a man)

- le chat (the cat) => il (even if it's a female cat)

- Ces personnes (these persons) => elles (even if they are all men)

- Ces personnes et le chat (these persons and the cat) => ils (even if they are all women and the cat is a female)

Same thing with objects :

- ma voiture (my car) => elle

- mon vélo (my bike) => il

- ma bicyclette (my bike) => elle

- ma voiture et mon vélo (my car and my bike) => ils

- ma voiture et ma bicyclette (my car and my bike) =>elles

Same thing with objects and people :

- ma voiture et le chat => ils

- mon vélo et cette personne => ils

- ma bicyclette et cette personne => elles

- mon vélo et le chat => ils

Ils...masculine

Elles...feminine

elles if they are all female

ils or on when otherwise

The command line in your browser understands how.

""Ils" (M) and "Elles" (F)