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en and y - Easy Learning Grammar French

  • en and y do not usually refer to people. How we translate them into English depends on where en and y are found in French.

1 en

  • en is used with verbs and phrases normally followed by de to avoid repeating the same word.
Si tu as un problème, tu peux m’en parler.If you’ve got a problem, you can talk to me about it. (en replaces de in parler de quelque chose)
Est-ce que tu peux me prêter ce livre? J’en ai besoin.Can you lend me that book? I need it. (en replaces de in avoir besoin de quelque chose)
Il a un beau jardin et il en est très fier.He’s got a beautiful garden and is very proud of it. (en replaces de in être fier de quelque chose)
  • en can also replace the partitive article (du, de la, de l’, des).
Je n’ai pas d’argent. Tu en as?I haven’t got any money. Have you got any?
‘Tu peux me prêter des timbres?’ – ‘Non, je dois en acheter.’‘Can you lend me some stamps?’ – ‘No, I have to buy some.’
  • For more information on the Partitive article, see The partitive article: du, de la, de l’ and des.
  • en is also used:
  • as a preposition
  • with the present participle of verbs
  • For more information on Prepositions and the Present participle, see Prepositions and The present participle.
  • When en is used with avoir, with il y a or with numbers, it is often not translated in English but can NEVER be missed out in French.
‘Est-ce que tu as un dictionnaire?’ – ‘Oui, j’en ai un.’‘Have you got a dictionary?’ – ‘Yes, I’ve got one.’
‘Combien d’élèves y a-t-il dans ta classe?’ – ‘Il y en a trente.’‘How many pupils are there in your class?’ – ‘There are thirty.’
J’en veux deux.I want two (of them).

2 y

  • y is used with verbs and phrases normally followed by à to avoid repeating the same word.
‘Je pensais à l’examen.’ – ‘Mais arrête d’y penser!’‘I was thinking about the exam.’ – ‘Well, stop thinking about it!’ (y replaces à in penser à quelque chose)
‘Je ne m’attendais pas à ça.’ – ‘Moi, je m’y attendais.’‘I wasn’t expecting that.’ – ‘Well, I was expecting it.’ (y replaces à in s’attendre à quelque chose)
  • y can also mean there. It can be used to replace phrases that would use prepositions such as dans (meaning in) and sur (meaning on).
Elle y passe tout l’été.She spends the whole summer there.
Regarde dans le tiroir. Je pense que les clés y sont.Look in the drawer. I think the keys are in there.

3 Word order with en and y

  • en and y usually come BEFORE the verb.
J’en veux.I want some.
Elle en a parlé avec lui.She talked to him about it.
En êtes-vous content?Are you pleased with it/them?
Comment fait-on pour y aller?How do you get there?
N’y pense plus.Don’t think about it any more.
  • In orders and instructions telling someone to do something, en or y come AFTER the verb and are attached to it with a hyphen (-).
Prenez-en.Take some.
Restez-y.Stay there.
TipThe final -s of -er verbs is usually dropped in the tu form used for orders and instructions. When an -er verb in the tu form is used before en or y, however, the -s is not dropped, to make it easier to say.
Donne des bonbons à ton frère.Give some sweets to your brother.
Donnes-en à ton frère.Give some to your brother.
Va dans ta chambre!Go to your room!
Vas-y!Go on!
  • For more information on the Imperative, see The imperative.
  • en and y come AFTER other direct or indirect object pronouns.
Donnez-leur-en.Give them some.
Il m’en a parlé.He spoke to me about it.
  • For more information on Direct object pronouns and Indirect object pronouns, see Personal pronouns: direct object and Personal pronouns: indirect object.
Key points
  • en is used with verbs and expressions normally followed by de to avoid repeating the same word.
  • en can also replace the partitive article.
  • When en is used with avoir and il y a or with numbers, it is often not translated in English but can never be missed out in French.
  • y is used with verbs and expressions normally followed by à to avoid repeating the same word.
  • y can also mean there and may replace expressions that would be used with dans and sur or some other preposition indicating a place.
  • en and y usually come before the verb, except in orders and instructions telling someone to do something, when en or y follows the verb and is attached to it with a hyphen.
  • en and y come after other direct or indirect object pronouns.
PreviousNext
Table of contents
  • Nouns
    • Using nouns
    • Gender
    • Forming plurals
  • Articles
    • Different types of article
    • The definite article: le, la, l’ and les
    • The indefinite article: un, une and des
    • The partitive article: du, de la, de l’ and des
  • Adjectives
    • Using adjectives
    • Making adjectives agree
    • Word order with adjectives
    • Comparatives and superlatives of adjectives
    • Demonstrative adjectives: ce, cette, cet and ces
    • Possessive adjectives
    • Indefinite adjectives
  • Pronouns
    • Personal pronouns: subject
    • Personal pronouns: direct object
    • Personal pronouns: indirect object
    • Emphatic pronouns
    • Possessive pronouns
    • en and y
    • Using different types of pronoun together
    • Indefinite pronouns
    • Relative pronouns: qui, que, lequel, auquel, duquel
    • Demonstrative pronouns: ce, cela/ça, ceci, celui
  • Verbs
    • The three conjugations
    • The present tense
    • The present tense: regular -er (first conjugation) verbs
    • The present tense: regular -ir (second conjugation) verbs
    • The present tense: regular -re (third conjugation) verbs
    • The present tense: spelling changes in -er verbs
    • The present tense: irregular verbs
    • The imperative
    • Reflexive verbs
    • The imperfect tense
    • The future tense
    • The conditional
    • The perfect tense
    • The pluperfect tense
    • The passive
    • The present participle
    • Impersonal verbs
    • The subjunctive
    • Verbs followed by an infinitive
    • Other uses of the infinitive
  • Negatives
  • Questions
    • How to ask a question in French
    • Question words
  • Adverbs
    • How adverbs are used
    • How adverbs are formed
    • Comparatives and superlatives of adverbs
    • Some common adverbs
    • Word order with adverbs
  • Prepositions
    • Using prepositions
    • à, de and en
    • Some other common prepositions
    • Prepositions consisting of more than one word
    • Prepositions after verbs
    • Prepositions after adjectives
  • Conjunctions
    • et, mais, ou, parce que and si
    • Some other common conjunctions
    • The conjunction que
  • Numbers
  • Time and Date
  • Some common difficulties
  • The Alphabet
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