Many verbs and expressions take a complement that names a place, an amount, or the object of a preposition. When that complement is already clear from the question or from earlier talk, a reply can use a short form instead of repeating the full phrase.
- Are you going to the store? Yes, I'm going there.
- Do you want apples? I'll take some.
- Do you need bread? Yes, I need some.
French has two pronouns, y and en, that replace a phrase when it is clear from the context. These pronouns usually appear before the verb, like other object pronouns.
Y for places
Y can replace a place that has already been mentioned. It commonly refers to where someone or something is located or where someone is going.
Place phrases introduced by à, dans, en, sur, and chez can often be replaced by y:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je vais à la bibliothèque. J'y vais. | I'm going to the library. I'm going there. |
| Elle est dans la cuisine. Elle y est. | She's in the kitchen. She's there. |
| Nous restons chez Paul. Nous y restons. | We're staying at Paul's. We're staying there. |
| Ils vont en France. Ils y vont. | They're going to France. They're going there. |
The place does not need to use à for y to replace it.
Y with expressions introduced by à
Some verbs and expressions connect to a thing or idea with à. Y can replace the complete à phrase when its meaning is already clear.
The pronoun avoids repeating the thing or idea introduced by à:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je pense à ce problème. J'y pense. | I'm thinking about this problem. I'm thinking about it. |
| Il répond à la question. Il y répond. | He answers the question. He answers it. |
| Nous participons à la réunion. Nous y participons. | We're taking part in the meeting. We're taking part in it. |
| Elle s'intéresse à l'histoire. Elle s'y intéresse. | She's interested in history. She's interested in it. |
The original preposition à does not remain when y replaces the phrase.
Y with things instead of people
Y normally replaces places, things, and ideas. When à introduces a specific person, French generally uses another pronoun form.
The same verb can require a different replacement depending on whether the phrase refers to a thing or a person:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je pense à cette question. J'y pense. | I'm thinking about this question. I'm thinking about it. |
| Je pense à Marie. Je pense à elle. | I'm thinking about Marie. I'm thinking about her. |
| Il répond à la question. Il y répond. | He answers the question. He answers it. |
| Il répond à Marie. Il lui répond. | He answers Marie. He answers her. |
With people, the correct form depends on the verb. Some verbs take an indirect object pronoun such as lui or leur, while others keep à with a stressed pronoun.
En with expressions introduced by de
En can replace a thing or idea introduced by de. This pattern appears with many verbs and expressions that require de.
The pronoun replaces the complete de phrase:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Nous parlons du projet. Nous en parlons. | We're talking about the project. We're talking about it. |
| Elle a besoin de son téléphone. Elle en a besoin. | She needs her phone. She needs it. |
| Il se souvient de cette histoire. Il s'en souvient. | He remembers this story. He remembers it. |
| Je doute de cette réponse. J'en doute. | I doubt this answer. I doubt it. |
The original de does not remain before en.
En with partitive expressions
French uses partitive articles such as du, de la, and de l' when referring to an unspecified amount of something. En can replace the noun introduced by the partitive article.
The amount remains unspecified when en replaces the noun:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Tu veux du café ? Oui, j'en veux. | Do you want some coffee? Yes, I do. |
| Elle boit de l'eau. Elle en boit. | She drinks water. She drinks some. |
| Nous mangeons de la soupe. Nous en mangeons. | We're eating soup. We're eating some. |
| Il achète du pain. Il en achète. | He's buying bread. He's buying some. |
English does not always need a word corresponding directly to en, but French still uses the pronoun when the noun has been replaced.
En with numbers and quantities
En can replace a noun that appears with a number or another expression of quantity. The number or quantity remains in the sentence.
The noun disappears while the amount stays visible:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| J'achète cinq pommes. J'en achète cinq. | I'm buying five apples. I'm buying five. |
| Nous avons beaucoup de temps. Nous en avons beaucoup. | We have a lot of time. We have a lot. |
| Elle boit un peu de lait. Elle en boit un peu. | She drinks a little milk. She drinks a little. |
| J'ai deux frères. J'en ai deux. | I have two brothers. I have two. |
This pattern also works with quantity expressions such as beaucoup, peu, assez, and trop.
En for places introduced by de
En can replace a place introduced by de when the phrase expresses movement or origin from that place.
This use commonly appears with verbs that describe leaving or returning from somewhere:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je reviens de Paris. J'en reviens. | I'm coming back from Paris. I'm coming back from there. |
| Il sort du bureau. Il en sort. | He's leaving the office. He's coming out of it. |
| Nous revenons du marché. Nous en revenons. | We're coming back from the market. We're coming back from there. |
| Elle descend de la montagne. Elle en descend. | She's coming down from the mountain. She's coming down from it. |
For places, y often answers the idea of where? or where to?, while en can express where from?
En with things rather than people
When de introduces a specific person, French usually keeps de and uses a stressed pronoun. En is the normal replacement for a thing or idea introduced by de.
The contrast appears when the same expression refers to a thing or to a specific person:
| French | English |
|---|---|
| Je parle de ce problème. J'en parle. | I'm talking about this problem. I'm talking about it. |
| Je parle de Marie. Je parle d'elle. | I'm talking about Marie. I'm talking about her. |
| Il se souvient de ce voyage. Il s'en souvient. | He remembers this trip. He remembers it. |
| Il se souvient de Paul. Il se souvient de lui. | He remembers Paul. He remembers him. |
This distinction concerns phrases that refer to a specific person after de. In quantity expressions, en can still replace a noun referring to people.
From learning to practice
At cafés, markets, shops, and in conversations about travel, listen for very short answers containing y or en. Questions about destinations often bring out y, while questions about food, quantities, purchases, and where someone has come from often bring out en.