The French adverbial pronoun y is so tiny that one might think its role in a sentence is not very important,

but in fact quite the opposite is true. It is extremely important in French. Y refers to a previously mentioned or implied place; it is normally translated by "there" in English. Y usually replaces a prepositional phrase beginning with something like , chez, ordans. Are you going to the bank today? No, I'm going (there) tomorrow. Tu vas la banque aujourd'hui ? Non, j'y vais demain. We're going to the store. Do you want to go (there)? Nous allons au magasin. Tu veux y aller ? He was at Jean's house. He was there. Il tait chez Jean. Il y tait. Note that "there" can often be omitted in English, but y can never be omitted in French. Je vais (I'm going) is not a complete sentence in French; if you don't follow the verb with a place, you have to sayJ'y vais.

Y can also replace + a noun that is not a person,* such as with verbs that need . Note that in French, you must include either + something or its replacement y, even though the equivalent may be optional in English. You cannot replace the noun with an object pronoun. I'm responding to a letter. I'm responding (to it). Je rponds une lettre. J'y rponds. Wrong: Je rponds, Je la rponds, Je lui rponds. He's thinking about our trip. He's thinking about it. Il pense notre voyage. Il y pense. Wrong: Il pense, Il le pense, Il lui pense. You have to obey the law. You have to obey it. Tu dois obir la loi. Tu dois y obir. Wrong: Tu dois obir, Tu dois l'obir, Tu dois lui obir. Yes, I attended the meeting. Yes, I attended (it). Oui, j'ai assist la runion. Oui, j'y ai assist. Wrong: Oui, j'ai assist, je l'ai assist, je lui ai assist. I'm going to think about your proposal. I'm going to think about it. Je vais rflchir votre proposition. Je vais y rflchir. Wrong: Je vais rflchir, Je vais la rflchir, Je vais lui rflchir. *In most cases, + person may only be replaced by an indirect object. However, in the case of verbs that don't allow preceding indirect object pronouns, you can use y: Pay attention to him. Fais attention lui, Fais-y attention. Wrong: Fais-lui attention.

Note that y usually cannot replace + verb. I hesitate to tell the truth. I hesitate to tell it. J'hsite dire la vrit. J'hsite la dire. Wrong: J'y hsite. I continue to read Balzac. I continue to read him. Je continue lire Balzac. Je continue le lire. Wrong: J'y continue.

Y is also found in the expressions il y a, on y va, and allons-y.