This French 2 lesson explains y and en pronouns step by step, with examples in French and English. Then practise with the worksheet on y and en pronouns and check yourself with the quiz.
Quick answer: In French, y replaces a place or à + a thing (J’y vais, J’y pense), and en replaces de + a noun, a partitive (du, de la, des) or a quantity (J’en ai trois). Both go before the verb, and French never drops the number after en. Il y en a means there is some, there are some.
Level: French 2 (high school, ACTFL Novice High) · Standards: ACTFL Novice High, WL 1.1 Interpersonal, WL 1.2 Interpretive, WL 1.3 Presentational
Y and en pronouns: the lesson
What do the pronouns y and en replace?
Definition
Y and en are small pronouns for things and places. Y means “there” or “to it”. En means “of it”, “of them” or “some”, the little words English often leaves out.
| Replaces | Pronoun | Example |
|---|---|---|
| à / au / chez / dans + place | y | Tu vas au dépanneur ? — Oui, j’y vais. — Are you going to the corner store? Yes, I’m going there. |
| à + thing | y | Je pense à mon examen. → J’y pense. |
| de + noun | en | Il parle de son voyage. → Il en parle. |
| du / de la / des + noun | en | Tu veux du pain ? — Oui, j’en veux. — Yes, I want some. |
| number + noun | en + number | J’ai trois frères. → J’en ai trois. |
Where do y and en go?
Rule: position
- Before the conjugated verb: Nous y habitons.
- Negative: Je n’en mange pas.
- Before an infinitive: Elle va en acheter.
- Passé composé: before the auxiliary: Nous y sommes allés. J’en ai pris deux.
- Affirmative command: after the verb with a hyphen: Vas-y ! Allons-y ! Manges-en ! (the tu form of -er verbs keeps its s before y or en). A negative command keeps the normal order: N’en achète pas !
What does il y en a mean?
Examples
Il y a des crêpes ? — Oui, il y en a. — Are there any crêpes? Yes, there are some.
Il y a du lait ? — Non, il n’y en a pas. — Is there any milk? No, there isn’t any.
Il y en a beaucoup. — There are lots of them.
Watch out
English can say “I have two”, but French must keep the pronoun: J’en ai deux. Never J’ai deux. Also remember that y does not replace people: for a person after à, use lui or leur.
Zoé’s tip
Say “of it” in your head. If “some of it” or “two of them” fits, the French pronoun is en. If “there” fits, it is y.
Culture note
In Québec, the dépanneur is the corner store open late at night, so Je vais au dépanneur easily becomes J’y vais in daily talk.
Key points to remember
- Y means there or to it; en means of it, of them or some.
- Y replaces à/au/chez/dans + place or à + thing; en replaces de + noun, du/de la/des + noun, or a noun after a quantity.
- Both pronouns stand before the conjugated verb, before an infinitive, or before the auxiliary in the passé composé.
- After en, keep the number or quantity word: J’en ai deux.
- Affirmative commands put them after the verb: Vas-y ! Manges-en !
Replacing Places and Quantities With Y and En: frequently asked questions
When do I use y in French?
Use y to replace a place introduced by à, chez, dans or en (J’y vais, Elle y habite) and to replace à + a thing (Je pense à mon examen becomes J’y pense). It never replaces a person.
When do I use en in French?
Use en to replace de + noun, a partitive such as du, de la or des, or a noun after a quantity. Examples: Il en parle, Je veux du thé becomes J’en veux, and J’ai trois sœurs becomes J’en ai trois.
Why must I keep the number after en?
En only replaces the noun. The number or quantity word still tells how many, so you must say J’en ai deux or Il en mange beaucoup. J’ai deux alone is incomplete.
How do I say there is some or there are some?
Say il y en a. For the negative, use il n’y en a pas. You can add a quantity: Il y en a beaucoup, Il y en a trois.
Where do y and en go in a command?
In an affirmative command they follow the verb with a hyphen: Vas-y ! Manges-en ! In a negative command they stay before the verb: N’y va pas ! N’en mange pas !