Module 8 of 10
Il y a — what there is
Three words that describe any room, any town, any timetable.
Il y a does the work of both there is and there are, and it never changes for number: il y a une chaise, il y a vingt chaises. That is one fewer decision than English asks for. Negative is il n'y a pas de — with the de from module four, not un. Question is either Il y a…? with your voice going up, or Est-ce qu'il y a…?, and both are ordinary.
This is the most useful three-word phrase at A1, because it lets you describe anything in front of you from a vocabulary list alone. A room, a street, a timetable, a plate: il y a, then the things, then where they are using module seven. If you can say il y a un lit, une table et une fenêtre, et la table est à côté de la fenêtre, you can describe your accommodation to a landlord, and that is further than most people get in a first year of school French.
Played by your device’s own French voice. It is a synthetic voice, not a recording of a teacher — close enough to learn the shape of a word, not close enough to copy exactly.
- Il y aThere is, there are — one form for both
- Il y a une pharmacie ici ?Is there a chemist here?
- Il y a deux chambresThere are two bedrooms
- Il n'y a pas de wifiThere is no wifi — pas de, as always after a negative
- Qu'est-ce qu'il y a ?What is there? — and also, what is the matter?
- Il y a un problèmeThere is a problem
- VoilàThere it is, here you are — handing something over
- Voici ma chambreHere is my room — pointing at something near
Il y a covers there is and there are without changing. The negative is il n'y a pas de.