French Grammar Explained /
Pronouns "en" and "y"
Hey, I've made some crêpes. Do you want some?
Bien sûr !
Tu veux des crêpes ?
Do you want crêpes?
Do you remember the small word you can use to replace des crêpes in French?
Of course I do!
Tu en veux ?
Do you want some?
en = des crêpes.
I remember all of this. Hey, when we're done, do you want to go to the cinema?
Oui, quelle bonne idée !
Let's go then!
Hold on...
On va au cinéma ?
Are we going to the cinema?
Oui, nous allons au cinéma.
Yes, we're going to the cinema.
To avoid a repetition of place, you can use the pronoun y:
Oui, nous y allons.
Yes, let's go (there).
y = au cinéma.
The pronoun y expresses a place introduced by prepositions like à, au, à la, dans, chez, etc. that has previously been mentioned!
Remember the pronouns en and y are placed before the conjugated verb and the infinitive verb:
J'en ai acheté.
J'en veux.
J'y suis passé.
J'y arriverai.
Je vais y aller. (near future)
Je voudrais en manger. (vouloir)
Je dois y manger. (devoir)
Je sais en faire. (savoir)
The pronoun y can never be used with the verb aller when conjugated in the future!
Nous irons à la plage. ⇒ Nous y irons. ⇒ Nous irons.