Il y a = There is/There are in French

Written by Qualified French Expert Aurélie Drouard HKH, Licence d'anglais LLCE
Last updated: 2022-11-24
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Learn how to say 'there is/are' in French

Look at these examples:

Il y a un oiseau dans mon jardin.   There is a bird in my garden.

Dans ma maison, il y a cinq pièces.In my house, there are five rooms.

À Paris, il y a la Tour Eiffel.In Paris, there is the Eiffel Tower.

Dans ma chambre, il y a un lit, un bureau et une chaise.In my bedroom, there is a bed, a desk and a chair.

To say there is/there are in French, you use the fixed expression il y a (literally "it has there").

Note: Il y a never changes, even if there is more than one object.

It consists of three separate words: il + y + a.

Never write il ya, even though it's pronounced that way.

 

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Examples and resources

À Paris, il y a la Tour Eiffel.In Paris, there is the Eiffel Tower.
À Londres, il y a beaucoup de touristes.In London, there are many tourists.
Dans ma ville, il y a deux parcs.In my town, there are two parks.
Il y a un oiseau dans mon jardin.   There is a bird in my garden.
Dans ma maison, il y a cinq pièces.In my house, there are five rooms.
Dans ma chambre, il y a un lit, un bureau et une chaise.In my bedroom, there is a bed, a desk and a chair.
Il y a un monstre !There's a monster!
Let me take a look at that...