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📍 Compendium
Grammar
FR
Français — il y a (there is/are)
il y a is a fixed impersonal phrase meaning "there is" or "there are." It never changes for number: il y a un livre (one book) and il y a trois livres (three books) both use the same form.
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How it works
✓ Rule
In the affirmative, il y a is followed by the noun with its normal article: il y a une table, il y a des chaises. In the negative it becomes il n'y a pas de (or d' before a vowel), and the article drops: il n'y a pas de table, il n'y a pas d'eau.
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Forms and examples
| Use | French | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Affirmative, singular | Il y a un problème. | There is a problem. |
| Affirmative, plural | Il y a des touristes. | There are (some) tourists. |
| Negative (article → de) | Il n'y a pas de pain. | There is no bread. |
| Negative before a vowel (d') | Il n'y a pas d'eau. | There is no water. |
| Question (est-ce que) | Est-ce qu'il y a un métro ? | Is there a metro? |
| Question (inversion) | Y a-t-il des places ? | Are there any seats? |
| Time: ... ago | Il y a deux ans. | Two years ago. |
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Good to know
⚠ Note
The same phrase also means "ago" when placed before a time span: il y a deux ans = "two years ago." Don't confuse it with the location sense: il y a une heure means "an hour ago," not "there is one hour." Also, il y a is invariable — never say *ils y ont* for a plural.