Y vs. en in French

Read more about how to use Y vs. en in French.
Feel the need to learn new grammar tips fast? Learn French online and test your grammar knowledge with Frantastique for free.

TEST YOUR FRENCH Free trial and no commitment to buy
4,6 on App Store, Play Store and Trustpilot
More than 7 million users

Y vs. en

Y and en are used to refer to something that has just been referred to. This could be an action, a thing, a place, etc. We use y or en in order to avoid repeating it.
Tu veux bien aller au supermarché ? Oui, j’y vais. Would you mind going to the supermarket ? Ok, I'll go there.
Tu vas à la manif aujourd'hui ? J’en reviens à l'instant. Are you going to the protest today? I just got back from it.
Y is normally translated by 'there' in English. It mostly replaces prepositional phrases that begin with à, such as à cet endroit (to this place).
Victor aime la boulangerie. Il y va souvent. (= Il va souvent à cet endroit.) Victor likes the pastry shop. He goes there often (=he often goes to this place).
C'est un très mauvais restaurant. N'y allez pas ! (= N'allez pas à cet endroit.) It's a very bad restaurant. Do not go there!
Tu es allé faire les courses ? Oui. J'y suis allé.(= Je suis allé au supermarché.) Have you done the shopping? Yes, I just went there (to the shop).
En can very generally be translated as 'some', 'any' or 'one' in English. It mostly replaces prepositional phrases that begin with de.
Tu es allé au cinéma récemment ? Oui, j’en reviens ! (= je reviens du cinéma). Have you been to the movies recently? Yes, I was just there.
Cécile a des projets. Elle m’en parle souvent. (= elle me parle souvent de ses projets) Cécile has some projects. She talks about them often.
Dédé a pris des vacances. Il en avait besoin ! (= il avait besoin de prendre des vacances) Dédé just took some holidays. He needed some!

Still having trouble with 'Y vs. en'? Master the rules of French grammar and improve your French level thanks to our online French lessons Frantastique. We're offering a 7-day free trial, so what are you waiting for?



What our users say:

Pleasure

         

I enjoy doing my online French lessons. Only ten minutes daily are enough...Thank you!

Innovative

         

I love your innovative method which allows me to learn a new language and have fun at the same time!

Unique

         

Your method is unique! Your courses have helped me to progress and gain confidence during my travels.

Progress

         

Gymglish has allowed me to improve my French. A daily routine I wouldn't miss for anything in the world!

More testimonials.


Looking to improve French for beginners? Frantastique provides effective and fun training!

Tips for learning 'Y vs. en'? Share them with us!

TEST YOUR FRENCH