The use of the single letter "y" and its combination with forms of the verb "aller" "rester" etc. is confusing to many French beginners. However, it's really not that difficult.
(The picture on the left shows the cover of “On y va!”, a French lesson book used by Swiss high school students in the 80s and 90s.)
Recently, we listed a number of phrases with “y” in a Facebook post. "y" = here, there; about it, on it (referring to something that was mentioned). Some of these come up as part of our French 1 travel-story course.
Adverb "y" - here, there
• "J'y suis, j'y reste." - Here I am (and) here I'm staying. • "Marseille? Oui, je vais y aller." - Marseille? Yes, I'm going there. • "Le pont d'Avignon ? On ne peut plus y danser." - Avignon Bridge? You can't dance on it/there any more. • "La Tour Eiffel ? Est-ce que tu y es déjà monté ?" - The Eiffel Tower? Did you already go up on it/there? • "Allez-y !" - Go!; Go on!; Go ahead! (Lit: Go there!) • "On y va." - Let's go (Lit: We are going there.)
Pronoun "y" - about it /that, on it /that
• "Trois jours à Paris! Penses-y !" - Three days in Paris! Think about it! • "Il faut y penser. - We have to think about that. • "J'y compte." - I'm counting on it. • "Je n'y crois pas." - I don't believe it. • "Je m'y attendais." - I was expecting that. • "J'y tiens." - It matters to me. (Lit: I'm holding to it.)
The Expression "il y a" - there is, are; it's
"Il y a du monde.- There are a lot of people. /It's busy. "Il y avait du monde. - There were a lot of people. /It was busy.
"Il y a du soleil." - It's sunny. "Il y avait du soleil." - It was sunny.
"Il y a erreur." - There's a mistake. "Il y avait erreur." - There was a mistake.
The Expression "il y a" - ago
"Il y a plus de deux ans." - More than two years ago. "Il y a mille cinq cents ans." - Fifteen hundred years ago. "Il y a quelques années." - A few years ago. "Il y a longtemps." - Long ago. / Ages ago. "Il y a quelque temps." - A while ago. "Il y a peu." - Not long ago.
Moreover, you can combine various forms of the verb “aller” (to go) and “y” (there) to create commands that are commonly used in daily life.
Let us know any comments or questions you have and - keep on learning as playfully as you can. Language learning should be first and foremost enjoyable, a quest of discovery, not a chore.
Do you want to know what "On ne peut plus y danser, mais on peut encore l’admirer." mean in French? Just click HERE.
Traveling to France? Preparing for the trip may both heighten your anticipation as well as enhance your experiences there. Travel entrepreneur Rick Steves has called this "Prepare for Spontaneity."
A basic knowledge of the local language and culture are essential tools for navigating new places and meeting locals.
In our four language courses we are introducing the learner to various particularities of each language or culture. For example in our French 1 course our traveler Daniel learns about the "bouillabaisse".
Listen HERE to a conversation between him and his aunt. Maybe your French lets you understand how this traditional French dish got its name. If not, you'd certainly understand it by the end of lesson 33!
The 36 lessons - we call them "Scenes" - take our "hero" Daniel (and, by extension you!) for a three week journey to France, where you'll learn the language of daily French life.
For example, in Paris, you'll visit with relatives, take a walk on a famous square, order "un express" and "une tarte aux fraises" at a café. You'll buy a train ticket to Aix-en-Provence.
There, you'll ask directions to a friend's house, and on a walk around the city, learn about Cézanne's occupation before he became a famous painter. In Avignon, you'll take a bus to your hotel, and check in.
Later, after dinner, a friend will show you the famous bridge. (Who doesn't know the song "Sur le pont d'Avignon"?) For your last week, you'll return to Paris.
Each of the 36 lessons is based on a dialog and on part of the story. In each lesson, you'll play your way through a series of games, with which you learn and practice vocabulary, train your listening comprehension, practice speaking by recording and playing back your own voice.
You'll also get essential grammar and culture tips.
Your goal will be to exceed a target score so that you can move on to the next lesson and hear “the rest of the story.”
You'll also be challenged and often able to understand the meaning of the next dialog through the context of the story alone – similar to what you might experience living in the foreign country, or following an original French movie.
So, maybe, next time you're sitting in a French bistro and see the "bouillabaisse" on the menu, you'll give it a try and even know what the name means...
The 2012 (tennis) Davis Cup between the USA and Switzerland is taking place in Fribourg in February.
I'm just now spending some time in Fribourg, one of the western cantons of Switzerland where mainly French is spoken. Because of its common language, this region is called “la Suisse romande” or “la Romandie” (Romandy).
With my knowledge of standard French, I have no problem conversing with locals here. But once in a while, I'm baffled and not sure I'm really getting what's being said. That's because in French Switzerland, some words have acquired a different meaning.
Here are a few Swiss French words and a common expression that I've encountered during my visits to Fribourg. I've also added three numbers in French that have a wonderful simplified Swiss French version.
The use of the single letter "y" and its combination with forms of the verb "aller" "rester" etc. is confusing to many French beginners. However, it's really not that difficult. 
