Y and en
A free French pronouns quiz on y and en, scored on the page. Two tiny words, endless confusion: j’y vais, j’en veux, and the difference a B1 speaker has to hear instantly.
Y and en: stop repeating the noun
Twelve rewrites: coffee, croissants, the préfecture, one waiter. Pick the pronoun and put it where French actually puts it, including il y en a and the double-pronoun stack.
Step 1 / 3
How this y and en pronouns quiz works
The quiz tests when to use y and when to use en, and where they sit in the sentence. Y replaces à + thing or a place: tu penses à ton examen? J’y pense. En replaces de + thing or a quantity: tu veux du café? J’en veux. The traps are real: people take en, not y (je pense à elle, not j’y pense for a person), and en is mandatory with numbers: j’en ai deux, never j’ai deux.
Retake it until placement before the verb feels natural: j’y vais, il en parle, n’en prends pas. The answer key explains each sentence, naming what the pronoun replaces and why the other choice fails. If the à-verbs and de-verbs behind these pronouns are shaky, the Learning Center has the grammar guides. The French Briefing is where y and en appear in every paragraph of real French, which is the fastest way to make them automatic.
What is the difference between y and en?
Y replaces à + a thing or a place: je vais à Lyon, j’y vais. En replaces de + a thing, or a quantity: je parle de mon projet, j’en parle; j’ai trois chats, j’en ai trois. Neither normally replaces a person.
Why do the French say j’en ai deux instead of j’ai deux?
With a number or quantity and no noun, en is grammatically required: it stands in for the missing noun. J’ai deux is an unfinished sentence to a French ear. Combien de frères as-tu? J’en ai deux.
What level is this quiz?
B1. You should already handle direct and indirect object pronouns (le, la, lui) and know common verbs with à and de, like penser à and avoir besoin de. The quiz focuses on choosing y or en and placing them correctly.
