Language/French/Grammar/Use-of-y

Use of y

Rule and Examples

y usually plays the same role in sentences as phrases which follow the verb and are introduced by prepositions like à, en, dans, sur, sous, etc.:

• Je vais à Paris demain J'y vais demain

7 am going to Paris tomorrow I'm going there tomorrow

• Elle vit dans une grande maison Elle y vit

She lives in a large house She lives there

• Il a écrit son nom sur le cahier II y a écrit son nom

He wrote his name on the book He wrote his name there

Although y can generally replace any phrase of this type, both concrete and abstract (as in the examples below), it is usually restricted to non-animate entities:

• Je pense souvent à la retraite

I often think about retirement

J'y pense souvent

• Elle est fidèle à ses principes

She is faithful to her principles

Elle y est fidèle

• Nous sommes entrés dans le débat

We joined in the debate

Nous y sommes entrés

Related Lessons

• Ordinal numbers
• Subjunctive versus indicative in clauses dependent on a superlative adjective
• Adverbs ending in —ment derived from the masculine form of an adjective
• Agreement of the past participle following “être” with the subject of a passive
• How to use falloir
• Verbs which take noun + adjective or noun + noun complements
• il or ça with impersonal verbs
• Masculine and feminine forms of adjectives — A change from a nasal vowel to an oral vowel
• Nouns which change meaning when they change gender
• Pronominal verbs used as passives
• Emphasizing the reciprocal use of se by adding l'un l'autre
• ils with arbitrary reference
• Meaning of alors
• Adjective—adjective compounds
• Confusions English and French direct object