Tu vas à Paris ? Oui, j'y vais demain. Tu as des frères ? Oui, j'en ai deux. Vous voulez du café ? Non merci, je n'en veux pas.
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GrammarA2yen
The pronouns y and en
Les pronoms y et en
A2fr24 min
What you'll learn
- Replace à + a place
- Replace de + a noun or quantity
- Place y and en before the verb
Tips for this lesson
- y replaces à + a place (there) — je vais à Paris → j'y vais.
- en replaces de + a noun, or an unspecified quantity (some/of it/of them).
- Both go BEFORE the verb, exactly like le/la/les and lui/leur.
Step 1 of 6
1Reading
In context
Read. Notice y replaces a place (à + place) and en replaces 'of/some' something.
Step 2 of 6
2The pattern
The pattern — y (there) and en (of it/some)
y replaces à + a place. en replaces de + a noun or a quantity. Both sit before the verb.
y replaces à (or dans/en/sur...) + a place, meaning "there": "Tu vas à Paris ?" → "Tu y vas ?" en replaces de + a noun, or an unspecified quantity (some, any, of it/them) — very often linked to the partitive articles you already know (du/de la/des): "Tu as des frères ?" → "J'en ai deux" (I have two of them). Both y and en go directly before the conjugated verb, exactly like le/la/les and lui/leur — French pronouns are consistent about this placement rule.
| Pronoun | Replaces | Example |
|---|---|---|
| y | à + place | j'y vais (I'm going there) |
| en | de + noun / quantity | j'en ai (I have some) |
Je vais à Paris. → J'y vais.
I'm going to Paris. → I'm going there.
y replaces à Paris — don't repeat the place after using y.
J'ai deux sœurs. → J'en ai deux.
I have two sisters. → I have two of them.
en replaces sœurs, but the number 'deux' stays.
Je bois du café. → J'en bois.
I drink coffee. → I drink some.
en replaces the partitive du café — links directly to A1-14.
Je n'en veux pas.
I don't want any.
en stays glued to the verb inside the ne...pas sandwich.
Erreurs fréquentes
- J'y vais à Paris.J'y vais.
Once you use y, don't repeat the place — y already means 'there', so à Paris becomes redundant.
- J'ai deux. (for 'I have two siblings', dropping en)J'en ai deux.
When a number/quantity stands alone without its noun, en is required to show what you're counting.
- J'y pense à mon ami. (using y for a person)Je pense à lui.
y is for PLACES (and things); for a PERSON after à, use the stressed pronoun (lui/elle) instead.
Exceptions & à retenir
y is for places/things, not people
For à + a PERSON, use lui/leur (A2-06) instead of y: je pense à mon ami → j'y pense is WRONG (thinking about a person) — actually French uses je pense à lui for people with penser à specifically. This is a well-known tricky exception.
en can combine with adjectives too
J'en ai un grand (I have a big one) — en can stand in for a noun even when an adjective describes it. A more advanced use you'll refine over time.
y and en are the last piece of the A2 pronoun system
You now have the full set: le/la/les (direct objects), lui/leur (indirect objects/people), y (places), en (de + noun/quantity). Combining several of these in one sentence (double pronouns) is a B1 topic.
Astuces & mémo
- Ask: does the phrase start with à/dans/en/sur + a PLACE? → y. Does it start with de + a NOUN, or is it an unspecified quantity? → en.
- en often pairs with a leftover number or quantity word: j'en ai deux, j'en veux beaucoup, je n'en ai pas.
- Both y and en follow the same 'before the verb' rule as every other object pronoun you've learned (le/la/les, lui/leur) — one consistent pattern.
Step 3 of 6
3Q&A drill
y or en?
Match each phrase to the pronoun that replaces it.
- Q1à Paris (a place)A____________
- Q2des frères (de + noun)A____________
- Q3du café (partitive)A____________
- Q4dans la maison (a place)A____________
Step 4 of 6
4Fill the blanks
Guided practice — choose y or en
Complete with y or en.
Example
Tu vas à Paris ? Oui, j'(1) vais.
→ Oui, j'y vais.
Exercice
Tu as des sœurs ? Oui, j'(1) ai deux.
Exercice
Tu habites en France ? Oui, j'(2) habite.
Exercice
Vous voulez du thé ? Non, je n'(3) veux pas.
Answer pool — drag onto a blank (or tap to fill the next one)
Next empty blank: 1
Step 5 of 6
5Word order
Build the sentence
Put the words in the correct order.
Example
j'ydemainvais→J'y vais demain.
- Sentence 1Tap the words below to build the sentence.
- Sentence 2Tap the words below to build the sentence.
- Sentence 3Tap the words below to build the sentence.
Step 6 of 6
6Speak freely
Produce it
Answer three questions using y or en to avoid repeating the noun.
Ex.Oui, j'y vais souvent. J'en ai trois. Non, je n'en bois pas le soir.
- 1.Allez-vous souvent au cinéma ? (utilisez y)
- 2.Avez-vous des animaux ? Combien ? (utilisez en)
- 3.Buvez-vous du café le soir ? (utilisez en)