il y a
/i.l‿i.j‿a/
The English phrase "there are" is expressed in French using il y a.
il y a is used to state that something exists or is located in a particular place. You can also use On trouve when referring to the presence of something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase il y a is composed of the impersonal pronoun il (it), the adverb y (there) and the verb a (has), literally translating to "it there has".
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase il y a is invariable. This means it does not change to a plural form even when the noun it introduces is plural. To express the negative "there are not" or "there is not", use the form il n'y a pas.
How do you pronounce it?
/i.l‿i.j‿a/
Did you know?
- While il y a means 'there is' or 'there are', it is also the standard way to say 'ago' in French. For example, il y a deux jours means 'two days ago'.
- In spoken French, the il in il y a is often dropped entirely, leaving just y a. In very informal speech, it may be shortened even further to y a pas for 'there isn't'.
- The word y in the phrase is a linguistic survivor from the Latin word 'hic', which meant 'here'.
Examples in context
- Il y a des limites.There are limits.This sentence is useful for showing how to use il y a to describe the existence of limits.Tatoeba #6935919 by Aiji, translation #2252609 by CK
- Il y a trois chats.There are three cats.This sentence is useful for using il y a to state a quantity of cats.Tatoeba #13388718 by Rovo, translation #13008370 by urro
- Il y a des exceptions.There are exceptions.This sentence is useful for using il y a to state that exceptions exist.Tatoeba #2187158 by sacredceltic, translation #2182121 by Hybrid
- Il y a un parc à proximité.There is a park nearby.
- Il y a beaucoup de restaurants dans cette ville.There are many restaurants in this city.
- Il y a des maisons à vendre dans ce quartier.There are houses for sale in this neighborhood.
- On trouve de belles plages sur la côte.There are beautiful beaches on the coast.
- On trouve des musées intéressants dans cette ville.There are interesting museums in this city.
- Il y a des problèmes avec la voiture.There are problems with the car.
- Il y a des enfants qui jouent dehors.There are children playing outside.
- Y'a-t-il un supermarché dans le quartier?Is there a supermarket in the neighborhood?
- Y'a-t-il des problèmes avec le système?Are there any issues with the system?
- 906 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Lucas are looking for a place to eat in the city.
- ChloéEst-ce qu'il y a un bon restaurant dans ce quartier ?Is there a good restaurant in this neighborhood?
- LucasOui, il y a un petit restaurant italien juste là.Yes, there is a small Italian restaurant right there.
- ChloéC'est parfait, il y a de la place pour nous ?That's perfect, is there space for us?
- LucasJe pense que oui, allons-y !I think so, let's go!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry il y a, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries a, il, y, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
