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Technology: plural pronouns, y and en

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Higher students also need plural object pronouns and the two tricky little words y and en.

Plural pronouns

Direct: nous, vous, les (them). Mes amis ? Je les vois le week-end.
Indirect (à + people): nous, vous, leur (to them). J'envoie des messages à mes parents. → Je leur envoie des messages.
Like the singular ones, they go before the verb.

Y = there

y replaces à + a place or thing: Je vais au cinéma. → J'y vais.
Vous allez en France ? Oui, nous y allons.

En = some, of it, of them

en replaces de + a noun, or a noun after a number or quantity.
Je mange du chocolat. → J'en mange.
Tu as des jeux vidéo ? Oui, j'en ai beaucoup.
Il y en a = there is / are some (of them): Il y en a trois.
Worked example

Answer with y: Vous allez en France cet été ?

  1. En France is a place, so use y.
  2. Y goes before the verb.
  3. Oui, nous y allons.

Answer: Oui, nous y allons.

Key idea

les = them, leur = to them. y = there (replaces à + place). en = some / of it (replaces de + noun, or after numbers). All go before the verb. Il y en a = there are some.

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