French Grammar: The Adverbial Pronoun [EN]

Posted by LEAF Architect on Thursday, February 6, 2014 · Leave a Comment

French Grammar: The Adverbial Pronoun [EN]
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French Grammar: The Adverbial Pronoun [EN]
la grammaire française: le pronom adverbial [EN]

The adverbial pronoun “en” is used to refer to previously mentioned nouns (i.e., things, places, or people) or infinitives preceded by a form of the preposition “de”. Depending on context, the pronoun “en” can mean about it, about them, from it, from them, of it, of them, some of it, or some of them.

Using “en” allows us to avoid repeating the name of a thing, place, or person/people that we have already identified. “En” can be used to replace a noun regardless of the gender (masculine/feminine) or number (singular/plural) of the noun being replaced.

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The adverbial pronoun “en” is used to refer to previously mentioned nouns (i.e., things, places, or people) or infinitives preceded by a form of the preposition “de”. Depending on context, the pronoun “en” can mean it, them, about it, about them, from it, from them, of it, of them, some, some of it, some of them, any, any of it, any of them, or from there.

“En” can be used to replace the following constructions:

(a) In place of “de” + infinitive:

L’étudiant a peur de parler devant la classe? Oui, il en a peur.
Is the student afraid to speak in front of the class? Yes, he is afraid (to do it).

(b) In place of “de” + noun:

L’avion est parti de l’aéroport. Il en est parti à l’heure.
The plane left (from) the airport. It left (from there) on time.

Nous avons beaucoup de devoirs. En fait, nous en avons trop.
We have a lot of homework. In fact, we have too much (of it).

Marie est fière de ses enfants. Elle en parle souvent.
Marie is proud of her children. She talks about them often.

(c) The pronoun “en” can also replace the construction partitive article (du, de la, de l’, des) + noun. This is similar to how we use the words ‘some’ or ‘any’ in English to avoid repeating a noun:

Le mari veut du thé mais sa femme n’en veut pas.
The husband wants some tea but his wife doesn’t (want any).

Tu manges de la salade mais ton frère n’en mange pas.
You (informal) are eating salad but your brother isn’t (eating any).

Maman fait des biscuits. Tu en veux?
Mom is making some cookies. Do you (informal) want some/any?

Il y a des étudiants français à mon université mais je n’en connais pas.
There are some French students at my university, but I don’t know (any of) them.

(d) “En” is also used to replace a noun after a number or an expression of quantity. In this case, the number or the expression of quantity must be repeated in the phrase containing “en”, unless that phrase is negative:

Tu as mangé un sandwich et j’en ai mangé deux.
You (informal) ate a sandwich and I ate two (of them).

Jacques commande trois tranches de pizza mais Victor n’en commande pas.
Jacques is ordering three slices of pizza but Victor isn’t ordering any.

Charles achète un kilo de tomates et Pauline en achète un kilo aussi.
Charles is buying a kilo of tomatoes and Pauline is buying a kilo (of them), too.

Lise veut deux cent grammes de fromage mais Anne n’en veut pas.
Lise wants two hundred grams of cheese, but Anne doesn’t want (any).

(e) “En” is always used in French even when it may not have an equivalent in English, or when its English equivalent can be dropped:

Vous jouez du violon. Vous en jouez très bien.
You (formal) play the violin. You play (it) very well.

Je sors de la salle de classe. J’en sors avant le professeur.
I am leaving the classroom. I am leaving (from there) before the professor.

(f) In general, the pronoun “en” comes immediately before the verb. It is placed before the infinitive, if there is one. If there is no infinitive, then “en” comes before the conjugated verb:

J’ai des bonbons. Tu en veux?
I have some candy. Do you (informal) want some/any (of it)?

Du pain? Ils vont en acheter?
Bread? Are they going to buy some/any (of it)?

(g) In a negative sentence, the pronoun “en” still comes immediately before the conjugated verb or the infinitive:

Les fraises sont trop chères; je n’en achète pas.
The strawberries are too expensive; I am not buying any (of them).

Je cherche des boucles d’oreilles mais je ne peux pas en trouver.
I am looking for some earrings, but I can’t find any.

(h) With affirmative informal (tu form) commands of –er verbs, we don’t drop the final ‘s’ before the pronoun “en”. However, we do drop that final ‘s’ in a negative informal (tu form) command:

Tiens! Manges-en!
Here! Eat some!

Non! N’en mange pas!
No! Don’t eat any!

(i) “En” always comes before “voici” and “voilà”:

En voici cinq.
Here are five (of them).

En voilà.
There are some (of them).