en = it and en = them

Question

Hi, I am confused about en meaninng both it and them. In some examples en is translated as it (Elle leur en a parlé She told them about it) and sometimes as them (Pierre m'en a offert Pierre offered me some of them.) Are it and them interchangeable in these sentences?

Answer

Hi Paul,
en can be translated in many ways, so don't go at it from the English side but from the French. As the corresponding lesson states, "en" as a pronoun replaces "de + object".
J'ai aceté une douzaine d'oeufs. -- I bought a dozen eggs.J'en ai acheté une douzaine. -- I bought a dozen of them.
Je lui parle de son problème. -- I talked with her about her problem.Je lui en parle. -- I talk with her about it.
Pierre m'a offert un morceau du gâteau. -- Pierre offered me a piece of the cake.Pierre m'en a offert un morceau. -- Pierre offered me a piece of it.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).