More pronouns: y and en (AQA GCSE French): Revision Notes
More pronouns: y and en
The pronouns y and en are essential tools in French that help you avoid repetition and sound more natural. Learning to use them properly will demonstrate your command of a wider range of French structures and make your speaking and writing flow much better.
Mastering these pronouns is crucial for sounding fluent in French. They appear constantly in everyday conversation and are key indicators of advanced French proficiency.
The pronoun y (there/it)
The pronoun y is incredibly useful when you want to refer back to places or concepts that have already been mentioned in conversation. Think of it as meaning "there" or "it" depending on the context.
Referring to places already mentioned
When someone mentions a specific place, you can use y to refer back to that location instead of repeating the place name. This makes your French sound much more natural and fluent.
Worked Example: Using y with places
Question: Tu vas à la gare? (Are you going to the station?)
Instead of saying: Oui, je vais à la gare (Yes, I'm going to the station)
Use y: Oui, j'y vais. (Yes, I'm going there.)
The y replaces à la gare, making the response much more natural.
Using y with verbs that take à
Many French verbs are followed by à, and when you want to refer back to what comes after à, you use y. This is particularly common with activities and sports.
Worked Example: y with sports and activities
Question: Tu joues au football? (Do you play football?)
Response: Oui, j'y joue. (Yes, I play it.)
Here, y replaces au football because jouer takes the preposition à.
Common expressions with y
The pronoun y appears in several everyday French expressions that you'll hear constantly:
- Il y a - there is/there are
- Il y a beaucoup à faire - There is a lot to do
- Vas-y! - Go on!
- Allons-y! - Let's go!
The pronoun en (of it/of them)
The pronoun en replaces nouns that are preceded by du, de la, de l', or des. It's particularly useful when talking about quantities or when you want to avoid repeating nouns that have already been mentioned.
Replacing partitive articles
When you're talking about "some" of something using the partitive articles (du, de la, de l', des), you can replace the entire phrase with en:
Worked Example: en with partitive articles
Question: Tu veux du café? (Do you want some coffee?)
Response: Oui, j'en veux bien. (Yes, I'd like some.)
The en replaces du café - you don't need to repeat the noun.
Another example: Question: Tu manges de la viande? (Do you eat meat?) Response: Oui, j'en mange beaucoup. (Yes, I eat a lot of it.)
Important note about en in English
Remember that en isn't always translated into English, but you must always include it in French. Even when we might say "Yes, I eat a lot" in English, French requires "Oui, j'en mange beaucoup."
This is a common mistake that learners make - omitting en because it doesn't appear in the English translation.
Using en with quantities
The pronoun en is essential when expressing quantities. It means "of them" or "of it" when talking about how many or how much of something:
Worked Example: en with quantities
Question: Tu as combien de frères? (How many brothers have you got?)
Response: J'en ai deux. (I've got two of them.)
The en here means "of them" (brothers). You cannot simply say "J'ai deux" - the en is mandatory.
Another example: Question: Tu as acheté du fromage? (Did you buy some cheese?) Response: Oui, j'en ai acheté un kilo. (Yes, I bought a kilo of it.)
Common expressions with en
Several useful phrases use en:
- Qu'est-ce que tu en penses? - What do you think of it?
- J'en ai marre. - I'm fed up.
- Je m'en vais. - I'm going.
- Il y a combien d'enfants? Il y en a trois. - How many children are there? There are three of them.
Useful vocabulary
| French | English |
|---|---|
| j'y vais | I'm going there |
| j'y joue | I play it |
| il y a | there is/there are |
| vas-y | go on |
| allons-y | let's go |
| j'en veux | I want some |
| j'en ai | I have some/I have (number) of them |
| j'en mange | I eat some/I eat it |
| qu'est-ce que tu en penses? | what do you think of it? |
| j'en ai marre | I'm fed up |
| je m'en vais | I'm going |
Critical Grammar Rules:
- Both y and en are placed before the verb in simple tenses
- In compound tenses (like passé composé), they go before the auxiliary verb (avoir/être)
- Y is pronounced like the English letter "E"
- En is pronounced like "ahn" with a nasal sound
- Never translate en as "in" - it always means "of it/of them" or replaces partitive articles
- Y can mean "there" (for places) or "it" (with verbs taking à)
Translation practice
French to English:
- J'y vais souvent le weekend.
- Tu en veux encore?
English to French:
- I bought some yesterday. (Use acheter - past tense)
- Are you going there tomorrow? (Use aller)
Answers:
- I go there often at the weekend.
- Do you want some more?
- J'en ai acheté hier.
- Tu y vas demain?
Key Points to Remember:
- Y replaces places already mentioned and works with verbs that take à - think "there" or "it"
- En replaces nouns with partitive articles (du/de la/de l'/des) and expresses quantities - think "of it/of them"
- Both pronouns go before the verb and help avoid repetition in French
- En must be included in French even when we don't translate it in English
- Common phrases like "il y a," "vas-y," and "j'en ai marre" are essential to learn