French y and en pronouns: how to replace à and de phrases

The French pronoun y usually replaces a phrase with à plus a place or thing: je vais à Paris → j’y vais (“I’m going there”). En usually replaces de plus a noun, a quantity, or a source: je parle de ce film → j’en parle (“I’m talking about it”). Both pronouns normally go before the conjugated verb.

Y replaces à plus a place or thing

Use y for “there” when the original phrase is a place introduced by à, au, à la, à l', aux, or sometimes another location phrase.

Tu vas au marché ? — Oui, j’y vais.
Are you going to the market? — Yes, I’m going there.

Y can also replace à plus a thing or idea after verbs like penser à or répondre à.

Tu penses à ce problème ? — Oui, j’y pense.
Are you thinking about this problem? — Yes, I’m thinking about it.

For people, French usually keeps a stressed pronoun instead: je pense à lui, not usually j’y pense when “him” is a person.

En replaces de plus a noun or quantity

Use en when the original phrase uses de, or when English says “some”, “any”, “of it” or “of them”.

Tu veux du café ? — Oui, j’en veux.
Do you want coffee? — Yes, I want some.

Tu as deux billets ? — Oui, j’en ai deux.
Do you have two tickets? — Yes, I have two of them.

When a number remains, keep the number after the verb: j’en ai deux, j’en veux trois.

Placement before the verb

In normal statements, y and en go before the conjugated verb. With a conjugated verb plus infinitive, they usually go before the infinitive they complete.

J’y vais. Je vais y aller.
I’m going there. I’m going to go there.

J’en parle. Je veux en parler.
I’m talking about it. I want to talk about it.

When both appear together, the fixed order is y before en: il y en a.

Common mistakes

Using y for people

Y usually replaces a place or thing, not a person.

Je pense à Marie. J’y pense. → Je pense à elle.
I am thinking about Marie. I am thinking about her.

Dropping the quantity after en

If the sentence says how many, keep the number.

J’ai deux billets. J’en ai. → J’en ai deux.
I have two of them.

Putting y or en after the conjugated verb

In normal statements, put the pronoun before the verb.

Je vais y. → J’y vais.
I’m going there.

Y and en sit inside the larger French object pronoun order, but the first useful step is recognizing the preposition they replace. Fluera trains short transformations like je vais au café → j’y vais and je veux du café → j’en veux, so the replacement becomes automatic. Try it when you practice French.

Practice