What does il y a mean?
Il y a means both there is and there are. Unlike English, it never changes: one thing or a hundred, the phrase stays exactly the same. Spoken, it sounds like one word: eel-ya, in everyday speech often just y’a.
How to build the sentence
Il y a un café ici.
There is a café here.
Il y a des fleurs sur la table.
There are flowers on the table.
Il y a trois chambres dans l’appartement.
There are three bedrooms in the apartment.
The negative
The negative is il n’y a pas de: ne becomes n’ before y, and after pas un, une and des all become de.
Il n’y a pas de pain.
There is no bread.
Il n’y a pas de place.
There is no room.
Il n’y a pas de problème.
There is no problem.
Fixed phrases
Qu’est-ce qu’il y a ?
What’s the matter?
Il y a beaucoup de monde.
It is crowded.
Il n’y a pas de quoi.
You’re welcome.
