top of page
Search

Pronouns Y and EN


Note: You should be familiar with Direct Object Pronouns and Indirect Object Pronouns before looking at the pronouns Y and EN.



what are they?


Y and EN are pronouns used to replace certain words or groups of words in a sentence.


Check the example below to understand what this means:


  • Je vais à la bibliothèque. Je vais à la bibliothèque tous les jours.

I go to the library. I go to the library every day.


  • Je vais à la bibliothèque. J'y vais tous les jours.

I go to the library. I go there everyday.



1. Using y


The pronoun Y usually replaces:

  • a place

  • à + thing

  • expression of location


it can often be translated as: there, to it, in it, at it, about it.



Examples:

  1. Je vais au cinéma. J'y vais souvent.

    (I'm going to the cinema. I go there often.)


  2. Nous habitons en France. Nous y habitons depuis un an.

    (We live in France. We've lived here for a year.)


  3. Tu penses à ton avenir. Tu y penses tout le temps.

    (You are thinking about your future. You think about it all the time.)


Be Careful!

Y cannot replace a person. In that situation either an IOP (me, te, lui, nous, vous, leur) is used, or a stressed pronoun (with penser à + person).


Common verbs + à + thing:

penser à (to think about)

assister à (to attend)

participer à (to take part in)

jouer à (to play)


s'intéresser à (to be interested in)

s'habituer à (to get used to)

s'adapter à (to adapt to)


réfléchir à (to think about/ to consider)

(dés)obéir à (to (dis)obey)


répondre à (to answer/ to reply to)


faire attention à (to pay attention/ to be careful of)

croire à (to believe in)

tenir à (to care about/ to be attached to/ to insist on)

survivre à (to survive)





2. Using EN


The pronoun EN usually replaces:

  • de + noun

  • a noun after an expression of quantity

  • a partitive article (du, de la, des, d') + noun


it can often be translated as: some, any, of / about it, of/ about them



Examples:

  1. Je parle de mon projet. J'en parle.

    (I'm talking about my projet. I'm talking about it.)


  2. Tu as des frères. Oui, j'en ai deux.

    (Do you have brothers? Yes, I have two.)


  3. Nous achetons du pain. Nous en achetons.

    (We buy bread. We buy some.)



Be Careful!

with sentences using quantities, the expression of quantity (beaucoup, assez, deux) remains at the end of the sentence.



Common verbs + de + thing/ idea/ person:

avoir besoin de (to need)

avoir peur de (to be afraid of)

avoir envie de (to feel like/ to want to)


être fier/ content/ triste de (to be proud of/ happy about/ sad about)


parler de (to talk about)

dépendre de (to depend on)

profiter de (to make the most of/ to enjoy)

changer de (to change)

manquer de (to lack / to be short of)


s'occuper de (to take care of)

se souvenir de (to remember)

se moquer de (to make fun of)

se servir de (to use)




Common expressions of quantity:

beaucoup de (a lot of)

peu de (little/ few/ not much)

assez de (enough)

trop de (too much/ too many)


combien de (how much/ how many)

un kilo de (a kilo of)



Here is a summary of what has been covered so far:





3. position of y and en in a sentence


In simple tenses:


In simple tenses, Y and EN are placed before the verb. In negative sentences, the pronoun remains before the verb.


Examples:

  1. Tu vas au supermarché. -> Tu y vas.

    (You are going to the supermarket. -> You are going there.)


  2. Tu manges du poulet mais je n'en mange pas.

    (You are eating chicken, but I am not eating any.)



In compound tenses:


In compound tenses, Y and EN are placed before the auxiliary.


Examples:

  1. Je suis allée à Paris. -> J'y suis allée.

    (I went to Paris. -> I went there.)


  2. Elle n'a pas acheté de fraises. -> Elle n'en a pas acheté.

    (Whe bought some strawberries. -> She bought some.)



With infinitives:

If a conjugated verb is followed by an infinitive, Y and EN are usually placed before the infinitive.


Examples:

  1. Tu dois boire du lait. -> Tu dois en boire.

    (You must drink milk. -> You must drink some.)


  2. Nous n'allons pas aller en Espagne . -> Nous n'allons pas y aller.

    (We are not going to go to Spain. -> We are not going to go there.)


With the imperative:

In affirmative commands, Y and EN are placed after the verb and connected with a hyphen.


Examples:

  1. Vas-y ! (Go there!)

  2. Manges-en !(Eat some!)


In negative commands, the pronoun goes back before the verb.


Examples:

  1. N'y va pas ! (Don't go there!)

  2. N'en mange pas !(Don't eat any!)




Here is a summary:


.

.

.

continue reading to know more

.

.

.


Using Y and EN together:


Sometimes both pronouns appear in the same sentence.

The order is always: Y → EN


Example:

Tu mets des pommes dans le panier. (You put some apples in the basket).

Tu y en mets. (You put some there.)



Recommendation:


For Students of A Level:


 
 
 

Comments

bottom of page