Les pronoms en et y
Usage
"En" and "y" are versatile pronouns in French that can replace various elements in a sentence. Here's a breakdown of their uses along with examples:
| Pronoun | Main Uses | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| En | 1. Replaces a noun with "de" 2. Indicates quantity 3. Replaces a place (with "de") | 1. Je parle de ce film. → J'en parle. 2. J'ai trois pommes. → J'en ai trois. 3. Je reviens de Paris. → J'en reviens. |
| Y | 1. Replaces a place (with "à", "dans", etc.) 2. Replaces a thing with "à" 3. Used in some fixed expressions | 1. Je vais à Paris. → J'y vais. 2. Je pense à ce problème. → J'y pense. 3. Il y a (there is/are) |
Colloquial Expressions with "En"
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| S'en aller | to leave | Il est tard, je vais m'en aller. (It's late, I'm going to leave.) |
| En avoir marre | to be fed up | J'en ai marre de la pluie ! (I'm fed up with the rain!) |
| S'en ficher | to not care | Il s'en fiche de ce que pensent les autres. (He doesn't care what others think.) |
| En avoir plein le dos | to be sick of it | J'en ai plein le dos de ces réunions interminables. (I'm sick of these endless meetings.) |
| Ne plus en pouvoir | to be exhausted, at the end of one's rope | Après cette longue journée, je n'en peux plus. (After this long day, I'm exhausted.) |
| S'en sortir | to manage, to get by | Malgré les difficultés, on va s'en sortir. (Despite the difficulties, we'll manage.) |
| En avoir gros sur le cœur | to be very upset | Après leur dispute, elle en a gros sur le cœur. (After their argument, she's very upset.) |
Colloquial Expressions with "Y"
| Expression | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Y aller | to go for it | N'hésite pas, vas-y ! (Don't hesitate, go for it!) |
| S'y faire | to get used to it | Le travail est difficile, mais tu vas t'y faire. (The work is hard, but you'll get used to it.) |
| Y être | to be there, to get it | Ah, j'y suis ! Je comprends maintenant. (Ah, I get it! I understand now.) |
| Y passer | to go through with it | Il hésite encore, mais il va finir par y passer. (He's still hesitating, but he'll end up going through with it.) |
| Ça y est | That's it, it's done | Ça y est, j'ai fini mon travail ! (That's it, I've finished my work!) |
| On y va | Let's go | On y va, on va être en retard ! (Let's go, we're going to be late!) |
| N'y voir que du feu | to be completely fooled | Il a menti et tout le monde n'y a vu que du feu. (He lied and everyone was completely fooled.) |
| Y arriver | to succeed in doing something | J'ai enfin réussi mon examen, j'y suis arrivé ! (I finally passed my exam, I succeeded!) |
| S'y attendre | to expect something | Je m'y attendais, il pleut toujours en cette saison. (I expected it, it always rains in this season.) |
Key Points
- Both "en" and "y" usually come before the verb in a sentence.
- In imperative (command) form, they come after the verb and are connected with a hyphen.
- These pronouns are essential for fluent, natural-sounding French and help avoid repetition.