y
there
to that place
Tu vas à la fête ce soir ? — Non, je n'y vais pas.
Are you going to the party tonight? — No, I'm not going there.
replaces à + noun (not people): 'about it', 'to it'
Ce dossier est compliqué, j'y réfléchis depuis ce matin.
This file/project is complicated; I've been thinking about it since this morning.
part of the existential phrase 'il y a' (there is/there are)
Il y a Pierre qui t'attend.
There is Pierre waiting for you.
Notes
GENERAL INFO
Y is an adverbial pronoun. It usually means "there" (referring to a place) or "to/at it/them" (replacing a phrase with "à" + thing). It's also included in the expression "Il y a" (there is/are).
USAGE
It replaces a previously mentioned location or a prepositional phrase with "à" (referring to an inanimate object).
Examples: "Tu vas à Paris? Oui, j'y vais." (Are you going to Paris? Yes, I'm going there.) "Penses-tu à ce projet? Oui, j'y pense." (Do you think about this project? Yes, I think about it.)
GRAMMAR
Y is placed directly before the conjugated verb (or auxiliary in compound tenses).
A common trap is its position relative to other pronouns; it comes after direct/indirect object pronouns, but before "en."
Do not confuse with "il y a" (there is/are).
