En can replace de + [phrase] (French Adverbial Pronouns)

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard , HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE
Last updated: 2022-12-12
Add to Notebook73 questions

You already know that the adverbial pronoun "en" is used to replace quantities. It can also be used replace specific phrases.

How to use the pronoun "en" to replace phrases in French

Look at these sentences with the pronoun en:

Je viens de Paris. - J'en viens aussi !I come from Paris. - I come from there too!

Que penses-tu de cette exposition ? - J'en pense le plus grand bien !What do you think of this exhibition? - I think very highly of it.

Je m'occupe de mes problèmes. Je m'en occupe.I'm dealing with my problems. I'm dealing with them.
-> Note that en can replace plural things too.

Elle a besoin de vacances. Elle en a besoin.She needs holidays. She needs them.

En as a pronoun can replace phrases introduced by the preposition de + [thing]/[object]/[location] (but not people), particularly with verbs that require de.

In such cases, you cannot replace the noun alone with a pronoun; you must replace the whole de + [noun] group with en.


Case of "de" + [people]

In the case of de + [people], the preposition de remains and is followed by a stress pronoun (moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles) replacing and agreeing with the noun:

Tu te moques de Paul et Daniel. - Non, je ne me moque pas d'eux !You're mocking Paul and Daniel. - No, I'm not mocking them!

J'ai besoin de ma mère tous les jours. - J'ai besoin d'elle aussi.I need my mother every day. - I need her too.

Examples with uncountable things

Vous mangez de la viande. Moi, je n'en mange pas.You eat meat. Me, I don't eat any.


BUT

 

Ta viande est dans ton assiette. Pourquoi tu ne la manges pas ?Your meat is in your plate. Why don't you eat it?
-> See our lesson on Using le/la/l'/les = it/him/her/them (French Direct Object Pronouns)

 

Want to make sure your French sounds confident? We’ll map your knowledge and give you free lessons to focus on your gaps and mistakes. Start your Braimap today »

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Examples and resources

Je mange de la purée.  -  J'en mange.I'm eating mash.  -   I'm eating some.
Tu joues de la trompette. -  Tu en joues.You play trumpet.  -  You play (it)
J'ai des chocolats.  -  J'en ai.I've got chocolates.  -  I've got some.
Tu te moques de Paul et Daniel. - Non, je ne me moque pas d'eux !You're mocking Paul and Daniel. - No, I'm not mocking them!
J'ai besoin de ma mère tous les jours. - J'ai besoin d'elle aussi.I need my mother every day. - I need her too.
Il se sert de ses outils. - Je m'en sers aussi.He's using his tools. - I'm using them too.
Je viens de Paris. - J'en viens aussi !I come from Paris. - I come from there too!
Vous mangez de la viande. Moi, je n'en mange pas.You eat meat. Me, I don't eat any.
Que penses-tu de cette exposition ? - J'en pense le plus grand bien !What do you think of this exhibition? - I think very highly of it.
Ta viande est dans ton assiette. Pourquoi tu ne la manges pas ?Your meat is in your plate. Why don't you eat it?
Je m'occupe de mes problèmes. Je m'en occupe.I'm dealing with my problems. I'm dealing with them.
Elle a besoin de vacances. Elle en a besoin.She needs holidays. She needs them.
Clever stuff happening!