About the impersonal turnover il y a and the adverbial pronoun y. Video lesson “Prepositions of place. Il y a in French

Verb avoir forms the most common impersonal turnover - il y a (yes, yes). It consists of a formal interlocutor il, verb avoir in the 3rd person singular and untranslatable pronouns in it y... The noun after this turnover is used with the indefinite article:

Sur la table il y a un livre et des cahiers... A book and notebooks are on the table.

In negative form, the indefinite article of both singular and plural is replaced by the preposition de:

Sur la table il n'y a pas de livre / de cahiers... There are no books / notebooks on the table.

Un esquimau va à la pêche, fait un trou dans la glace et entend dans un haut-parleur:

L'esquimau va un peu plus loin et entend de nouveau:

- Il ne faut pas pêcher ici, il n'y a pas de poisson.

Alors il demande:

- Mais qui est-ce qui parle?

- Le directeur de la patinoire.

The Eskimo goes fishing, makes a hole in the ice and hears a voice from the loudspeaker: The Eskimo goes a little further and hears again:

- You can't fish here, there is no fish.

Then he asks:

- Who's talking?

- Director of the skating rink.

¶ Remember the words:

la glace ice

le poisson a fish

entendre hear

un peu Little

il ne faut pas is not allowed

loin long away

pêcher to fish

de nouveau again

ici here

la patinoire ice rink

Question to turnover il y a put:

a) using an interrogative phrase est-ce que:

Est-ce qu'il y a un livre sur la table? Is there a book on the table?

b) using inversion (changing the places of the subject and predicate):

Y a-t-il un livre sur la table? Is there a book on the table? This is the so-called general question, to which there are only two possible answers - "yes" or "no".

Depending on the specific question ( what? where? when?), the corresponding question words are used ( que, où, quand), which are placed in front of the turnover. It either does the inversion:

Quand y a-t-il? Où y a-t-il?

or direct word order remains if used est-ce que:

Quand est-ce qu'il y a? Où est-ce qu'il y a?

Note that the self-used interrogative phrase “ Qu'est-ce qu'il y a?"Means:" What is it? What's happened?".

Complicated turnover " il n'y a qu ’à... + the infinitive of the verb "in Russian means" you just have to do something ":

Il n'y a qu'à téléphoner... One has only to call.

¶ Remember the expressions:

Il n'y a pas de quoi. My pleasure. ( response to words of gratitude)

Il n'y a rien à faire. (often shortened to « Rien a faire.") It's nothing you can do.

To emphasize the significant difference between homogeneous objects, the phrase " il y a des ... et des ...»:

Il y a des fautes et des fautes... Errors are different.

Il y a des professeurs et des professeurs... Teachers are different.

Il y a des jours et des jours... Day after day is not necessary.

At turnover il y a besides the basic meaning "there is" there is also a temporary meaning, corresponding to the Russian expression "back." A verb in a sentence with this turnover always appears in the past completed tense.

Je l'ai connu il y a 10 ans. I met him ten years ago.

Exercise 15

Put the turnover "il y a" in the interrogative (two variants of the question) and negative forms:

1 ... ce soir un train pour Paris? (Is there a train to Paris tonight?) 2. Quand… ce soir un train pour Paris? (When is the train to Paris tonight?) 3. Ce soir… train pour Paris. (There is no train to Paris tonight.)

Yesterday Katerina, a visitor to this site, asked a very good question about turnover il y a , for which many thanks to her. She wanted to know what it means y in this turnover and how such a turnover appeared in general. I tried to answer her briefly, but then I saw that the topic was worthy of closer examination. Therefore, today we will talk a little about turnover. il y a and cryptic pronoun y .

The article turned out to be long, so I give the content:

Meaning

Il y a translates as "Is", "is".

With this phrase, it is very easy to describe what I see or what is happening:

• Il y a une clef dans la poche.(Present / present) key in pocket.
• Dans la poche il y a une clef. In your pocket (present / present) the key.

Literal translation

Il- this is a personal pronoun (literally translated "he")
y- adverbial pronoun (literally translated "There", "here")
a Is the form of avoir ( have)

That is, the literal translation of this expression sounds like
"He has here".

Impersonality

But the turnover is not in vain called impersonal, impersonal - it means "without regard to any person", that is, in this case, it does not matter to us who this "he" will be. It turns out that “someone, no matter who, has here”.

• Il y a une clef. There is a key.

Why did we even need to drag a certain "il" by the ears here? Why couldn't you just use some verb + the word "key"?

In French, a sentence must contain a subject and a predicate. The word order is strictly fixed: first comes the subject, then the predicate.

In this case il- subject, avoir- predicate, la clef- direct addition.

We see a similar impersonal form, for example, in the expression il faut — necessary(and literally " he needs«, faut Is the form of the verb falloir).

But with other verbs, if we want to build an impersonal form, the pronoun is used on :

• On dit ... They say…
• On peut ... You can ...

Turnover il y a at different times

Because "A"- in this turnover - the most common verb. Then, of course, we can use it at different times:

Construction of negatives and questions with the turnover il y a

The rules for constructing interrogative sentences and negations are the same as for ordinary subject + predicate, taking into account that the adverbial pronoun "y" always comes before the verb:

Denials:

• ll n'y a / avait / aura pas de
• Il n'y a pas eu de

Interrogative sentences will also be formed according to the standard scheme, either by inversion, or using an auxiliary turnover:

• Y a-t-il une clef? Have a key?
• Est-ce qu'il y a une clef? Is there a key?
• Pourquoi est-ce qu'il y a une clef dans ma poche? Why is there a key in my pocket?
• Combien de clefs y a-t-il? How many keys are there?

We remember about the rules for the formation of inversion: t - is added for euphony, the French do not like when vowels go in a row.

"Y" always comes before the verb, no matter our interrogative form or negative - this is his obligatory rigid position, which he cannot change.

Noun pronoun y

Well, a little more about y…

Y Is an adverbial pronoun. The name is so strange because in some cases y plays the role of an adverb, as in circulation il y a, and in some cases - pronouns.

1 case - y as an adverb

By value y = là(here, there, there)

On one's own y is not used, it necessarily goes in combination with the verb and stands firmly in front of it.

• Nous y sommes - We are here
• Nous y travaillons - We work there
• Nous y allons - We're going there
• Je les y porterai - I'll take them there

Except for the imperative mood:

• Entrez-y! - Go in there. // But: N'y entrez pas! - Don't go in there
• Portez-les-y! - Take them there // Ne les y portez pas! - Don't carry them there

2 case - y as a pronoun

Pronoun y substitutes for an inanimate noun with the preposition à (animates have their own forms: lui, leur, à lui, à elle, à eux, à elles)

• Je travaille a mon roman - J'y travaille // I'm working on my novel - I'm working on it
• Elle s'adapter à sa nouvelle vie - Elle s'y adapte. // She gets used to her new life - She gets used to it.

Or the pronoun y can replace a whole sentence! In this case y= a cela

• Tu veux partir? Je n'y consens pas / Je ne consens pas à cela // Do you want to leave? I do not agree to this / I do not agree to this

As for y-adverbs, y-Pronoun always comes before the verb (in difficult tenses - before the auxiliary verb).

If besides y other personal pronouns are used before the verb, then they are placed before y... That is y always comes before the verb, with one exception - the pronoun "en". But it is necessary to write a separate article about this, which I promise to submit later :)

Until then, back to il y a.

The turnover il y a and the verb être - what's the difference?

Instead of Il y a une clef dans la poche / Dans la poche il y a une clef we can also say this:
Une clef est dans la poche- this will also be translated as "The key (is) in my pocket."

What's the difference? When can we get along with a verb être, and when we need to use the turnover il y a?

It all depends on what you want to focus on.

In Russian, the sentences “The key is on the table” and “The key is on the table” have a slightly different semantic accent. But if we can freely move the subject according to the proposal, thereby shifting the emphasis, the French cannot do this. The subject is always before the predicate. Therefore, "The key is on the table" can be translated as Une clef est sur la table or Il y a une clef sur la table... And "There is a key on the table" only as " Sur la table il y a une clef«.

And finally, a little more about the frequency of use of the turnover il y a.

Use of turnover il y a

According to my observations, the turnover il y a used very often ... in the speech of beginners to learn French :) Just when you do not have enough vocabulary.

It's much easier to say:

• Il y a une clef dans la poche.

How to issue a phrase:

• Une clef se trouve dans la poche.

I specifically noted when reading articles and when talking whether the French use il y a... So, they don't use this turnover very often. The only exception is when they want to say that some time has passed:

• Il y a 20 ans, nous sommes parti. 20 years ago we left
• Il y a 20 ans que nous sommes parti (Passed) 20 years since we left

Here in context with time il y a occurs often :)

That's it :)

Update: Attention! I met on the Internet in various sources, both in Russian and in English, statements that after the turnover il y a must come with a noun with an indefinite article ( un, une, des).

In fact, this is not the case!

Really, usually there is an indefinite article, but the article can be definite if the context or the noun itself requires it (see the usual rules for using the definite and indefinite article). For instance: Il y a le ciel, le soleil et la mer./ There is sky, sun and sea.

The turnover il y a can be followed by nouns with a numeral, for example: Il y a deux choses à faire./ There are two things to do., An indefinite pronoun, for example: Il y a quelqu'un dans la maison./ Someone is in the house. You can insert introductory words like donc, For example: Il y a donc trois sortes d'aristocratie .../ There are, therefore, three types of aristocrats ...

In general, as one friend of mine said: "Le français est une langue très riche."

Roshchupkina's guide to French grammar helped me a lot in preparing this article. If earlier it seemed to me that I understood everything about ru and y, then after reading Roshchupkina, I finally really understood :) All examples about the adverbial pronoun y took from there. I add to the list of books that I recommend for study. I have a very old edition, I borrowed the book from the library. Ozone has a 2009 edition, I hope it is not worse than mine :)

The French language has many features, and one of them is the impersonal construction "Il y a", which is most often used to indicate where an item is. Even if there are many objects, this turnover remains unchanged: the article indicates the plural.

Formation of the construction "Il y a"

The turnover itself consists of a personal pronoun "Il", adverbs "Y" and the verb avoir in the 3rd person singular. Verb avoir changes depending on the time in which this or that sentence is used. This turnover may or may not be translated into Russian, for example:
Il y a un livre sur la table.- On the table (there is) a book.

Dans la ville il y a un musée.- In the city (is) a museum.

As follows from the examples, the turnover "Il y a" can appear both at the beginning of a sentence and after the circumstance of the place, and after it there is usually an indefinite article (un, une, des), but the definite article and the number can also be used.

Construction "Il y a" in interrogative sentences

In interrogative sentences, you guessed it, two options are possible: inversion "Y a-t-il ...?" or turnover "Est-ce qu'il y a ...?", For example: Y a-t-il un cinéma dans la ville?- Is there a cinema in the city?

Also, do not forget that the question can be asked using intonation.

Another possible question with this turnover is a question starting with "Qu'est-ce qu'il y a ...":
Qu'est-ce qu'il y a dans la rue?- What is (is) on the street?

Qu'est-ce qu'il y a dans là-bas?- What (is) there?

The negative form of the construction "Il y a"

The negative form is also formed according to the already familiar rule, with the help of particles "Ne ... pas".

In negative sentences after turnover "Il y a" the article is not used, but the preposition is put instead de: Sur la table il n'y a pas de livre.- There is no book on the table.

Turnover "Il y a" does not occur very often in French. It really becomes necessary when the word is added to it. "Ans". In this case, the turnover indicates how long ago an action was performed: Il y a 20 ans, nous sommes partis.- We left 20 years ago.

As you can see, there is a turnover "Il y a" does not indicate the location of the item, but is an important part of the sentence.

You might be asking why you can't use instead of the construct "Il y a" verb sentences "Etre". It all depends on the order of the words in the sentence. If the subject comes first, then you need to use the verb "Etre", in other cases - "Il y a".

Le journal est sur la table. - Il y a un journal sur la table. - Sur la table il y a un journal.

Lesson assignments

Exercise 1. Translate using the turnover "il y a".
1. The pen is on the table. 2. What's in the city? 3. There are no flowers in the vase. 4. Is there a pharmacy here? 5. There is a museum. 6. On that shelf of the newspaper. 7. There is water in a glass. 8. There is a problem.

Answer 1.
1. Il y a un stylo sur la table. 2. Qu'est-ce qu'il y a dans la ville? 3. Il n'y a pas de fleurs dans le vase. 4. Est-ce qu'il y a une pharmacie? 5. Il y a un musée là-bas. 6. Il y a des journaux sur cette etagère. 7. Il y a de l'eau dans le verre. 8. Il y a un problème.

Prepositions of place. Il y a in French

Prepositions are service words that express the relationship between nouns and other parts of speech in a sentence. They are not consumed on their own. As in all languages, in French, prepositions connect words in a sentence together so that it is clear what they are talking about.

The prepositions of place, which will be discussed later, help to determine the location of a person, animal, plant, or any object in space. To get acquainted with the French prepositions of the place, you will be helped by the cat Mistigri, who loves to walk very much and always knows where she is.

This is Mistigri the cat.

Study the prepositions of the place!

The kitty entered the closet,

There she said the preposition dans.

The cat sat down UNDER the sofa,

Meowing there sous.

the cat told me

Sitting ON my desk.

derrière behind a tree sits.

devantFront of itself looks.

entre BETWEEN two things.

parmi stands AMONG people.

prèsde she meowed,

Sitting NEAR the window.

loinde is far gone.

I almost got lost notre chat!

Looked to the RIGHTà droite,

There are only pebbles lying there.

LEFT meowed à gauche.

You won't go into a puddle either.

IN THE CENTER OF THE VILLAGE

And the Friend would tell me.

Mistigri the cat featured the main prepositions of place in French. She also made a new friend. This is the French word for il y a. In a French phrase with the phrase il y a, there is always some preposition of place. With this phrase, it is very easy to describe what you see or what is happening.

For instance:

You can start your phrase either with the phrase il y a, or with the circumstance of the place (sur la table), both of them are equivalent.

The phrase il n'y a pas is used in negative phrases when talking about what is missing.

Please note that the negative turnover il n'y a pas is translated by one word "No" and after the negative turnover the noun has no article. It is replaced by the preposition de, which indicates complete negation.

A question phrase with a turnover il y is constructed using an inversion - a permutation of parts of our turnover. Y a -t- il ...

It is worth noting that when your subject comes first, you should use the verb être.

Le livre est sur la table.

La rose est dans le vase.

In this case, your phrase is the answer to the question "WHERE is the item located?

The book is on the table. Rose in a vase.

When you begin your phrase with the phrase il y a or with the circumstance of the place (sur la table), you are answering the question "WHAT is on the table?"

Sur la table il y a un livre. There is a BOOK.

Dans le vase il y a une rose. There is a ROSE in the vase.

It is worth noting that after the turnover il y a, a noun with the UNDEFINED article is always used: un, une or des, because the question is about something that you do not know yet.

The verb être is followed by the subject with the DEFINED ARTICLE: le, la, or les, because you are asking about the known.

Thus, the prepositions of place and the turnover il y a are irreplaceable when it comes to the location of someone or something in space. Of course, memorizing prepositions in French will require some effort from you, but do not forget about the cat Mistigri and learn her rhyme! Bonne chance!

List of used literature:

1. French. A great reference book for schoolchildren and those entering universities / E.V. Ageeva, L.M. Belyaeva, V.G. Vladimirova et al. - M .: Bustard, 2005.-349, p. - (Great reference books for schoolchildren and those entering universities.)
2. Le petit Larousse illustré / HER2000
3. E. M. Beregovskaya, M. Toussaint. Blue bird. A teacher's book for a French language textbook for grade 5 of educational institutions.
4. Gak, V.G. new French-Russian dictionary / V.G. Gak, K.A. Ganshin. - 10th ed., Stereotype. –M .: Rus.yaz.-Media, 2005.- XVI, 1160, p.
5. E. M. Beregovskaya. Blue bird. French. Grade 5. Textbook for educational institutions.

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