what if both a and de are there in the sentence what am i supposed to use en or y ?

Question

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Kalonde!
The sentence you hear is "Il y en a" = there are some.
This would indeed be the only case where both are present in the same sentence, but only because "y" is part of the fixed expression "il y a" (there is/are).
Bonne journée!

Answer

Bonjour Susan !

You will never use both "y" and "en" together in the same sentence.
In such a case, you will use either "en" or "y" to replace one of the groups, and keep the original other group.

"Je veux des bonbons à la plage." (I want sweets at the beach.)
-> "J'y veux des bonbons."  (Not my favourite option, it doesn't sound great to my French ears!)
-> "J'en veux à la plage."

I hope that's helpful!
À bientôt !

Answer

"You will never use both "y" and "en" together in the same sentence."
- I often hear the phrase "Y en a." in response to a question like "Il y a des pommes dans ce magasin?", for example.
Is it then wrong to use "y" and "en" together in the above sentence?

Answer

Hi Kalonde! It's more likely that you are hearing "Il en a" rather than "Y en a". They sound similar to our non-french ears when spoken fast, so it get us puzzled sometimes!