How to Teach French Pronouns Y and EN – A French Teacher’s Guide
The French pronouns y and en can be challenging for English-speaking students because there isn’t always a direct English translation for them. I find that the best way to teach these pronouns is to focus first on what they replace and then on where they go in the sentence.
I don’t try to have students memorize a long list of rules right away. Instead, I teach y and en as two pronouns that replace something that has already been mentioned or is understood from the context.
The basic idea is:
Y replaces a place or a thing introduced by à.
EN replaces a thing or place introduced by de, or a quantity.
Start with the French Pronoun Y
I usually introduce y first because its most basic meaning is fairly easy for students to understand.
Y often means there.
Students have probably already encountered it in expressions such as:
On y va!
Let’s go!
Il y a…
There is… / There are…
I explain that y can refer to a place that has already been mentioned or is understood from the context.
Tu vas à la banque aujourd’hui?
Non, j’y vais demain.
Are you going to the bank today?
No, I’m going there tomorrow.
The important thing to notice is that y replaces à la banque.
I then give students several similar examples:
Elle ne va pas au centre commercial.
Elle n’y va pas.
Il est chez Jean.
Il y est.
Nous allons au magasin.
Tu veux y aller ?
In these examples, y is replacing a place:
à la banque = y
au centre commercial = y
chez Jean = y
au magasin = y
French Pronoun Y – Foldable Student Lesson Handout Book
Teach Students That Y Can Also Replace a Thing
Once students understand y as “there,” I introduce the second use: y can replace a thing introduced by à.
This is where students sometimes need more practice because English doesn’t always make the French structure obvious.
Je pense à ton idée.
J’y pense.
I’m thinking about your idea.
I’m thinking about it.
Tu réfléchis au problème?
Tu y réfléchis ?
Are you thinking about the problem?
Are you thinking about it?
Vous répondez à son email.
Vous y répondez.
You’re responding to his email.
You’re responding to it.
I have students pay attention to the preposition. If the thing is introduced by à, au, à la, aux, or à l’, y may be the pronoun they need.
I also make one important distinction very clear:
Y does not replace a person.
For people, French generally uses an indirect object pronoun such as lui or leur when the verb calls for à.
For example:
Je parle à Marie.
Je lui parle.
Not:
J’y parle.
This distinction becomes especially important once students start working with verbs such as parler à, téléphoner à, écrire à, and répondre à.
Introduce EN
Once students are comfortable with y, I introduce en.
I start with the easiest idea:
EN replaces a quantity.
The noun may be introduced by:
- de
- de la
- du
- des
- d’
- un or une
- a number
- an expression of quantity such as beaucoup de, peu de, or assez de
- an expression such as un verre de, un kilo de, or une bouteille de
Nous voudrions deux baguettes.
Nous en voudrions deux.
We would like two baguettes.
We would like two of them.
This is one of the first examples I use because it shows students something very important:
The quantity stays. The noun disappears.
deux baguettes
en + deux
We don’t simply remove the entire phrase.
The same thing happens with other quantities:
J’ai trois pommes.
J’en ai trois.
Vous achetez beaucoup de citrons ?
Vous en achetez beaucoup ?
J’ai bu huit verres d’eau.
J’en ai bu huit verres.
I emphasize that the number or expression of quantity needs to be repeated.
Show EN Replacing a Thing Introduced by DE
Next, I expand the idea of en beyond quantities.
En can also replace a thing introduced by de.
This is especially important with French verbs that are followed by de.
J’ai peur des serpents.
J’en ai peur.
Tu as besoin d’argent?
Tu en as besoin?
Il a envie de manger une pizza.
Il en a envie.
Elles rêvent de faire le tour du monde.
Elles en rêvent.
Je me souviens de ce restaurant.
Je m’en souviens.
Here, en is not necessarily replacing a quantity. It is replacing the thing that follows de.
I like to have students learn some of these very common verb patterns as complete expressions:
avoir peur de = en avoir peur
avoir besoin de = en avoir besoin
avoir envie de = en avoir envie
rêver de = en rêver
se souvenir de = s’en souvenir
profiter de = en profiter
se servir de = s’en servir
This helps students recognize en naturally instead of trying to construct every sentence from scratch.
French Pronoun EN – Student Lesson Foldable Handout Book
Put Y and EN Side by Side
Once I have taught the two pronouns separately, I put them side by side.
This is when students can finally see the pattern:
À = Y
DE = EN
For example:
Je vais à Paris.
J’y vais.
I’m going there.
Je pense à mon travail.
J’y pense.
I’m thinking about it.
Then:
Je parle de mon projet.
J’en parle.
I’m talking about it.
Je reviens de Paris.
J’en reviens.
I’m coming back from there.
And with a quantity:
J’ai trois stylos.
J’en ai trois.
I have three of them.
This comparison is one of the most useful parts of the lesson because students can begin to ask themselves a simple question:
Is the original phrase connected to à or de?
If it is à + place/thing, use y.
If it is de + thing/place, use en.
If it is a quantity, use en.
Teach Placement After Students Understand the Meaning
I don’t introduce all of the placement rules before students understand what y and en actually replace. Once they have that foundation, I show them that both pronouns generally go before the verb.
In the present tense:
Je vais au marché.
J’y vais.
Je parle de mon projet.
J’en parle.
With negation:
Je n’y vais pas.
Je n’en parle pas.
This gives students a familiar pattern:
ne + pronoun + verb + pas
Move on to the Futur Proche
Next, I introduce y and en with the futur proche.
This is a good opportunity to show students that the pronoun goes before the infinitive, not before aller.
Je vais au marché.
Je vais y aller.
Je vais parler de mon projet.
Je vais en parler.
Negative:
Je ne vais pas y aller.
Je ne vais pas en parler.
I have students compare these with the present tense:
J’y vais.
but:
Je vais y aller.
And:
J’en parle.
but:
Je vais en parler.
That comparison helps them see exactly where the pronoun belongs.
Practice the Passé Composé
Once students have practiced the present tense and futur proche, I move to the passé composé.
The pronoun goes before the helping verb:
Je suis allé(e) à l’école.
J’y suis allé(e).
J’ai parlé de mon livre.
J’en ai parlé.
Je suis revenu(e) de Paris.
J’en suis revenu(e).
With negation:
Je n’y suis pas allé(e).
Je n’en ai pas parlé.
Je n’en suis pas revenu(e).
I also point out an important difference from direct object pronouns: neither y nor en requires past participle agreement.
So students can focus on placement without having to add another agreement rule.
Put Y and EN Together
After students are comfortable using each pronoun separately, I introduce them together.
This is where a sentence such as:
Il y a du lait dans le frigo.
becomes:
Il y en a dans le frigo.
And in the negative:
Il n’y en a pas dans le frigo.
I make sure students notice the order:
Y comes before EN.
This is a useful sentence to practice because it combines two pronouns they have already learned.
I then use simple questions and answers:
Il y a du lait dans le frigo?
Il y en a?
Oui, il y en a.
Non, il n’y en a pas.
The repetition is helpful because students are practicing both the meaning and the pronoun order at the same time.
Use Questions to Make the Pronouns Automatic
At this point, I like to move away from isolated grammar exercises and have students transform questions and answer them.
For y:
Tu vas à la plage?
Tu y vas?
Oui, j’y vais.
Non, je n’y vais pas.
Tu vas aller à la plage?
Tu vas y aller?
Oui, je vais y aller.
Non, je ne vais pas y aller.
For en:
Tu veux acheter des clémentines?
Tu veux en acheter?
Oui, je veux en acheter.
Non, je ne veux pas en acheter.
And with a quantity:
Tu as un stylo?
Tu en as un?
Oui, j’en ai un.
Non, je n’en ai pas.
I find this type of question-and-answer practice particularly effective because students aren’t simply filling in a blank. They have to decide which pronoun to use, where to put it, and what information needs to remain in the sentence.
Give Students a Simple Way to Remember Y and EN
By the end of the lesson, I want students to have a simple mental shortcut.
Y
Think:
à + place
à + thing
EN
Think:
de + thing
de + place
quantity
And for placement:
Present:
J’y vais. / J’en parle.
Negation:
Je n’y vais pas. / Je n’en parle pas.
Futur proche:
Je vais y aller. / Je vais en parler.
Passé composé:
J’y suis allé(e). / J’en ai parlé.
And when they appear together:
y + en
Il y en a.
The goal isn’t for students to translate y and en perfectly into English every time. In fact, I tell them that this can sometimes make things harder. Instead, I want them to recognize the French structure and ask themselves what has been replaced.
Ready to Practice French Pronouns Y and EN?
Once students understand what y and en replace and where to place them, repeated practice is what helps these pronouns become automatic.
I’ve created French grammar resources that give students structured practice with y and en, including their use with places, things, quantities, different verb tenses, negation, and common French expressions.
French Pronouns Y and EN – Ready-to-Use Lesson, Exercises & PowerPoint
French Pronouns Y and EN – French Grammar Activity
French Pronouns Y and EN – PowerPoint Jeopardy Game
French Y and EN Pronouns – Grammar Game – Quel Dommage
French Pronouns Y and EN – Review Game Activity “Verb Race”
BUNDLE – French Pronouns Y and EN Activities, Exercises, Games
