Do you mean I want him to buy it,  I want you to go, I want you to listen? 

Even though these sentences use an infinitive in English, they don’t in French. I is the subject of want but you is the subject of go. As each verb has a different subject they are each conjugated separately. 

Je veux qu’il l’achète. Je veux que vous alliez. Je veux que tu écoutes.

I want that he it buys. I want that you go. I want that you listen.

As an added complication even though you definitely want, the buying, going or listening may or may not happen so they are conjugated in the subjonctif mode ( level B2). That is why the verb endings may look slightly different.

The verb écouter takes a direct object, hence it is J'aime l'écouter.

Whether a verb takes a direct or indirect object (some take both, some change meaning with one or the other) needs to be learned together with the verb. There's no hard and fast rule. For example télephoner takes an indirect object while appeler uses a direct object:

J'ai téléphoné à Marie. -- I phoned Marie (Marie is the indirect object).
J'ai appelé Marie. -- I called Marie (Marie is the direct object).

 

Hi Anne,

le/la are the direct object pronouns whereas lui is the indirect object pronoun. 

Je lis le livre -- Je le lis. Direct object "le livre".   

Je parle à Anne. -- Je lui parle. Indirect object "à Anne". 

Check out this page for a principal understanding of direct and indirect kbjects: 

https://www.myenglishpages.com/site_php_files/grammar-lesson-direct-indirect-object.php

Got it. Merci, Chris. 

De rien ;)

J'écoute le prof. -- I listen to the teacher.

J'écoute de la musique. -- I listen to music.

But never: j'écoute à....
Consequently no lui/leur.

-- Chris. (not a native speaker).

Many thanks, I think I will have to spend some time getting my head round this concept! Christine

Hi Christine -- Spanish has very similar constructions. I find it helpful to think of it as "to", as in "I gave the book to her". You then just have to adjust to each verb because many don't need "to" in French where they do in English - and vice versa. Eg. "I listen to my parents" becomes "I listen my parents" in French. "I'll phone you" becomes "I'll phone to you". Then the direct/indirect object pronouns fall into place without having to think further. It's a simplification and doesn't ALWAYS work, but as you get to know which verbs do or don't take "à", it's generally a good mental shortcut. I hope that helps! Charles.

Thanks - that could be the light bulb moment for me!

Thanks - that could be the light bulb moment for me!