French Grammar: The Adverbial Pronoun [Y]

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

The adverbial pronoun “y” is used to refer to places or things (but never to people!) that have already been mentioned.  It often means “there”.  “Y” is pronounced like the French letter “i” (like the sound ‘ee’ in the English word ‘meet’).  The pronoun “y” is treated like a vowel sound, so we need to use liaison when appropriate.

Je vais au cinéma.
I am going to the movies.

J’y vais avec mes amis.
I am going there with my friends.

Nous(z)y allons à 19h00.
We are going there at 7:00p.m.

Using “y” allows us to avoid repeating the name of a place or thing that has already been identified.  “Y” often replaces the preposition à plus a noun, but it can also replace other prepositions of location or position (chez, dans, derrière, devant, en, sous, sur) plus a noun.  Depending on context, “y’ can mean there, to it, to them, in it, or in them.

Study:

The adverbial pronoun “y” is used to refer to places or things (but never to people!) that have already been mentioned.  It often means “there”.  “Y” is pronounced like the French letter “i” (like the sound ‘ee’ in the English word ‘meet’).  The pronoun “y” is treated like a vowel sound, so we need to use liaison when appropriate.

Je vais au cinéma.
I am going to the movies.

J’y vais avec mes amis.
I am going there with my friends.

Nous(z)y allons à 19h00.
We are going there at 7:00p.m.

Using “y” allows us to avoid repeating the name of a place or thing that has already been identified.  “Y” often replaces the preposition à plus a noun, but it can also replace other prepositions of location or position (chez, dans, derrière, devant, en, sous, sur) plus a noun.  Depending on context, “y’ can mean there, to it, to them, in it, or in them.

Il va au Canada. Il y va demain.
He is going to Canada.  He is going there tomorrow.

Je travaille dans ce restaurant. J’y travaille depuis trois mois.
I work in that restaurant.  I have been working there for three months.

Quand elle reçoit des e-mails, elle y répond tout de suite.
When she receives emails, she answers (responds to) them right away.

“Y” can be used to refer to an entire phrase, clause, or idea:

Les idées du philosophe sont intéressantes. J’y réfléchis souvent.
The philosopher’s ideas are interesting.  I think about them often.

Il y a beaucoup de voitures dans cette rue. Il faut y faire attention en traversant.
There are a lot of cars on this street.  You must pay attention to them while crossing.

Martine joue au tennis et Philippe y joue aussi.
Martine plays tennis and Philip plays (tennis), also.

Sometimes, “y” has no direct English translation.  This is especially the case when we use the verb ALLER to talk about going somewhere without naming the place we’re going to.  In these instances, French uses the pronoun “y” even though the word there would not normally be used in English:

On y va?
Shall we go (there)?

Ciao!  J’y vais.
So long!  I’m going (there).

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

Tu vas à la librairie.  Tu y vas maintenant.
You (informal) are going to the bookstore.  You are going there now.

Je veux aller à la librairie aussi.  Je peux y aller avec toi?
I want to go to the bookstore, also.  May I go there with you?

In a negative sentence, the pronoun “y” still comes immediately before the conjugated verb or the infinitive:

Nous habitons à Toulouse mais nos cousins n’y habitent pas.
We live in Toulouse but our cousins do not live there.

Il désire aller au concert, mais je ne désire pas y aller.
He wants to go to the concert, but I do not want to go to it.

With affirmative informal (tu form) commands of –er verbs, as well as with the verb ALLER, we don’t drop the final ‘s’ before the pronoun “y.  However, we do drop that final ‘s’ in a negative informal (tu form) command:

Vas-y!
Go there!

N’y va pas!
Don’t go there!

Restes-y!
Stay there!

N’y reste pas!
Don’t stay there!

Adapt: 

Tu vas au supermarché?
Are you (informal) going to the supermarket?

Oui, j’y vais maintenant.
Yes, I am going there now.

Il reste chez lui ce soir?
Is he staying home tonight?

Oui, il y reste.
Yes, he is staying there.

Elles travaillent toujours dans ce bureau?
Do they still work in that office?

Non, elles n’y travaillent plus.
No, they do not work there any more.

Vous voulez dîner au restaurant?
Do you all want to have dinner at the restaurant?

Non, nous ne voulons pas y dîner.
No, we do not want to have dinner there.

Explore:

• YouTube/YTfrenchlessons: The pronoun [Y]

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