Use the French adverbial pronoun y as a substitute for a place and to mean “there.” You probably have heard of the phrase J’y vais meaning I’m going there. Like many pronouns, the pronoun y is particularly useful to avoid repetitions:
- Elle va au cinéma ?Translation: Is she going to the cinema?
- Oui, elle va au cinéma.Translation: Yes, she is going to the cinema.
OR
- Oui, elle y va.Translation: Yes, she is (going there).
But there is much more to y than just avoiding the repetition of a place! In this article, you’ll read about what y can also stand for, where it is placed in a wide range of sentences, some useful expressions with y, and some do’s and don’ts.
What does ‘y’ mean in French?
It is quite common to think the adverbial pronoun y means “there” and replaces a place; although this is true, y can also stand for something other than a place. Y can replace a single noun, an entire verb or noun phrase, or nothing at all because it is in fixed expression. Let’s see what y can stand for!
When does ‘y’ replace nouns following prepositions of place?
Y replaces nouns that are introduced by a preposition of place like chez meaning at the home of or dans meaning in. Y replaces both the noun and the preposition.
Example: chez
- A quelle heure allez-vous chez Lucie ?Translation: At what time are you going to Lucie’s?
- On y va vers 20h.Translation: We’re going (there) around 8 pm.
Example: dans
Laurent est dans sa chambre, il y est depuis trois heures !Translation: Laurent is in his bedroom, he’s been (in) there for three hours!
→ Check our article about French prepositions of place to learn more!
When does ‘y’ replace phrases introduced by preposition ‘à’?
Y also replaces some phrases that begin with a verb + the preposition à. These phrases can be verb + à + verb or verb + à + noun, so long as the noun doesn't represent a person.
Here is an example of y replacing a noun phrase introduced by verb + à:
- Tu penses encore à tes vacances ?Translation: Are you still thinking about your holidays?
- Je sais, j’y pense tout le temps !Translation: I know, I’m constantly thinking (about) them!
Below, you’ll see that y can also replace a verb phrase introduced by verb + à:
- Elle n’arrive pas à faire la roue.Translation: She can’t manage to do a cartwheel.
- Ah bon ? Elle n’y arrive pas ?Translation: Really? She can’t (do one)?
The noun phrase or verb phrase that is introduced by a verb + preposition à is called a “complement.” In the examples above, the verbs penser à and arriver à take noun or verb phrases as complements (tes vacances and faire la roue). The preposition and its complement are then replaced by y.
Have a look at this list of French verbs followed the preposition à to learn more!
How to use ‘y’ in some fixed expressions?
Y is also used in some specialized phrases called “fixed expressions” where its meaning isn’t completely literal. You may be familiar with the fixed expression il y a meaning there is, which is used to describe the weather or to say what can be found in a place.
You may wonder: If y replaces a place, why would you have another place (sur la table) in the same sentence?
Well, the answer is that, because il y a is a fixed expression, it doesn’t literally refer to a place, so it is absolutely fine to add a place alongside il y a.
Here are other fixed expressions using y:
Ça y est. Translation: That’s it, finally. | Ça y est, j’ai fini ! Translation: There, I’m done! |
s’y retrouver Translation: to get one’s bearings | Je ne m’y retrouve plus. Translation: I’m lost. |
s’y connaitre Translation: to have good knowledge of | Il s’y connaît en films. Translation: He has a good knowledge about films. |
s’y croire Translation: to have a high opinion of oneself | Il s’y croit ! Translation: He thinks he’s amazing! |
Vas-y! Translation: Come on! | Vas-y, c’est n’importe quoi ! Translation: Come on, it’s nonsense! |
s’y prendre Translation: to go about + adverb | Il faut s’y prendre des mois à l’avance. Translation: One must start on it months in advance. |
On y va ! Translation: Let’s get going! | On y va ! Nous allons être en retard. Translation: Let’s get going! We’re going to be late. |
Now you know what y can stand for, read further to learn useful rules.
What are the other grammar rules for ‘y’ in French?
There are some specific rules for using y when it comes to where to place it in a sentence, as well as how to use it with other pronouns. We’ll take a look at each now!
Where does ‘y’ go in a sentence?
Y works like most pronouns in French. If you need a refresher, check out our post on French object pronouns! Or check the table below to visualize where y goes in affirmative and negative sentences.
| Place in the sentence/type of sentence | Affirmative | Negative |
|---|---|---|
Before a conjugated verb | Elle y est allée. Translation: She went there. | Elle n’y est pas allée. Translation: She didn’t go there. |
Before an infinitive verb | Ils vont s’y attarder. Translation: They’re going to linger over it. | Ils ne vont pas s’y attarder. Translation: They’re not going to linger over it. |
After a (+) command and
| Réfléchis-y. Translation: Think about it. → Have you noticed the hyphen
| N’y réfléchis pas. Translation: Don’t think about it. |
How does ‘y’ work with other pronouns?
When you have more than one pronoun in a sentence, y is one of the last pronouns before the verb. You must respect this order of pronouns below:
In brief: What to remember about pronoun ‘y’ in French?
When using the pronoun y in French, remember what we learned in this post:
Y replaces nouns introduced by a preposition of place like à, chez, sur ≠ sous, dans.
Y substitutes non-living nouns but not living nouns.
Y follows the same rules as French pronouns and usually goes before a conjugated verb, before an infinitive, after the imperative when (+) and before when (-).
You are all set! Take a few minutes to do our French pronoun y activities to make sure it’s all understood.
If you enjoyed this article, head to our other post to learn about the useful French pronoun en.
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