B1
Pronouns y and en
The pronouns y and en replace phrases so you do not repeat them. They are short, but they carry a lot of meaning.
y
Use y to replace a place or an idea introduced by à.
- Je vais à Lyon. → J'y vais. — I'm going there.
- Elle pense à son examen. → Elle y pense. — She's thinking about it.
en
Use en to replace a phrase introduced by de, or a quantity expression.
- Je viens de Paris. → J'en viens. — I come from there.
- Tu veux du café ? → Oui, j'en veux. — Yes, I want some.
- Il a trois livres. → Il en a trois. — He has three of them.
Word order
In simple tenses, y and en go before the conjugated verb: J'y vais, J'en parle. In the passé composé, they still go before the auxiliary: J'y suis allé, J'en ai acheté deux.
Watch out
Do not use y for people after à. For people, French often uses lui or leur: Je parle à Marie → Je lui parle.
Try three examples
Example 1
Replace à Lyon in *Je vais à Lyon demain.*
- y
- en
- lui
- le
Show answer
y
I am going there tomorrow.
Example 2
A quantity remains after en: *Il ___ a trois.*
Il ___ a trois.
Show answer
en
There are three of them.
Example 3
The place is already known: *J'___ vais ce soir.*
J'___ vais ce soir.
Show answer
y
I am going there tonight.
Practise this lesson
Continue with the interactive exercise set and save your progress.