# FR: réussir (à) un examen, des études - pronom y / le, les



## poireau

Bonjour comment diriez-vous plus court.

Je reussis a l'examen.

"Je lui/le reussis"?

Merci


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## charleythefrog

hello,

I'd say "j'ai réussi l'examen" or shorter "je l'ai réussi" there, people must know what you're talking about.


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## tilt

_Je le réussis_, definitely.


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## Xavier11222

Would be _J'y réussis_, and it is, except that it's not used. So we say _Je le réussis. _


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## charleythefrog

there's something I don't understand... your not suppose to talk during an exam. Then you can say before "je vais (le) réussir" or after "je l'ai réussi"/"j'ai réussi".

 I've never heard the sentence "je le reussis" about an exam!


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## Xavier11222

No, but have you never thought it? 

But seriously you can also take an exam that run over more than a day, and report - somewhat cockily - that you're acing it.


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## tilt

Xavier11222 said:


> Would be _J'y réussis_, and it is, except that it's not used. So we say _Je le réussis. _


Yes, _je *le* réussi _and _j'*y* réussi _are theoretically both correct because _réussir l'examen _and _réussir *à* l'examen _are both possible. But the former only is used, that's right.



charleythefrog said:


> there's something I don't understand... your not suppose to talk during an exam. Then you can say before "je vais (le) réussir" or after "je l'ai réussi"/"j'ai réussi".
> 
> I've never heard the sentence "je le reussis" about an exam!


Some possibilities:
_- C'est décidé, aujourd'hui, je réussis cet examen !
- Quand j'ai bien révisé, je réussis mon examen.
- Si je réussis l'examen, je pars en vacances.
_


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## Krakouvi

je le réussis avec un ''s'' et non je le réussi.
(réussir, 3 eme groupe)


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## TheGiantKudu

Hi everyone,

Please can somebody tell me whether or not I am using 'y' correctly in the following sentence (and whether the sentence makes sense )

Je fais des études de droit. Si j’*y* réussis, je serai contente.

I am trying to say: 'I am studying law. If I pass (the course), I will be pleased. 

Thanks


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## timboleicester

To me it sounds better without the "y" in any case it would be "je les réussis" to match the "les études" 

it is "réussir à faire quelque chose"  and "réussir quelque chose"


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## Lacuzon

I agree.


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## TheGiantKudu

Hi again, 

I'm a little bit confused now. My dictionary states that 

'Il a réussi à l’examen'= 'He passed the exam'. 

In this sentence ‘l’examen’ is an indirect object. Is it not, therefore, appropriate to substitute ‘‘il y a reussi’?

Thanks


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## Lacuzon

Bonsoir,

Il a réussi son examen -> Il l'a réussi.
Il a réussi à son examen -> Il y a réussi.

Réussir un examen is more common than réussir à un examen.


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## TheGiantKudu

Thank you for replying so quickly Lacuzon

So, if were to say ‘Je suis un cours de français’ I could write either:

Si j’*y* réussis, je serai contente.
Si je le réussis, je serai contente.

And the second option would be one which is more commonly used?

Thanks


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## Lacuzon

You've got it.


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## timboleicester

I've just tried the "si j'y réussi" one of the ball and chain (from Grenoble) and you know what? She corrected me to the 2nd option....so be warned!


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## Madame Dianne

"Y" is used to replace phrases introduced by "à", either written or implied.  Example:  Je suis au cours de sciences.  J'y suis.
"en" is used to replace phrases introduced by "de".  Example:  Je prends de la glace .  J'en prends.
The english translations vary according to the context of the sentence.
A l'examen is not an indirect object......it is a prepositional phrase being used as the direct object in this sentence.


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## Lacuzon

Bonjour,

I disagree, in_ réussir à un examen, _à un examen is indeed an indirect object. Nevertheless réussir un examen is so much more common that when using a pronoun we almost always use a direct one.


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## Madame Dianne

Indirect objects tell "to whom, or for whom" something is done.  Direct objects receive the action of the verb.  When either is preceeded by a preposition, it then becomes a prepositional phrase.  "A un examen" might be mistaken for a direct object; but in no way could it be an indirect object. In English, it is impossible to have an indirect obj. without a direct object.  In French, it is possible.


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## timboleicester

If "il réussit un examen" contains a direct object then surely it follows that " il réussit à un examen" contains an indirect one.....

As for the assertion that English cannot have an indirect object without a direct one, well I find this hard to believe.  "I sing to her everyday....." isn't "to her" an indirect object?


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## Lacuzon

Madame Dianne said:


> Indirect objects tell "to whom, or for whom" something is done.  Direct objects receive the action of the verb.  When either is preceeded by a preposition, it then becomes a prepositional phrase.  "A un examen" might be mistaken for a direct object; but in no way could it be an indirect object. In English, it is impossible to have an indirect obj. without a direct object.  In French, it is possible.



As far as I understand, what you call an indirect object in English is called un complément d'objet second (COS) in French
I send a letter (direct object) to peter (indirect objet) -> J'envoie une lettre (COD=complément d'objet direct) à Pierre (COS)
And what you call a prepositionnal sentence in English is called un complément d'objet indirect in French
I wrote to Peter (prepositionnal sentence) -> J'écris à Pierre (COI=complément d'objet indirect)

If that is then we are saying the same thing with different words.

In addition some grammarians call a COI a COS.


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## purpledragonunicorn

Bonjour,
I would like to know which pronoun I would need for "at them". I am attempting to say "I want to succeed at them" when referring to my exams, and I know that if there were only one exam, I could say "Je veux y réussir", but I have no clue how to pluralise this construction.
Merci


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## atcheque

Bonjour,

_Y_ could be plural. But I would use: _les réussir_ (singular : _le réussir_).


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## purpledragonunicorn

Okay, thank-you very much!


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## OLN

[…]
réussir *à* un examen, réussir un examen, Cf. Grevisse :


> _Réussir qq. ch._ se dit, selon Littré, en termes de peinture: Réussir un tableau, une figure. Le Dict. gén. et l'Ac. 1935 mentionnent comme familier _réussi_ pris adjectivement: Un portrait réussi (Ac.).- Un plat bien réussi (Ac.).
> L'emploi transitif de _réussir _est, depuis le XIXe siècle, devenu très courant: Les premières [roses au crochet] qu'on avait eu tant de mal à réussir (R. BAZIN). - Il a réussi sa vie (LOTI). (...)
> Ces ex. de _réussir à_ ne seraient plus guère possibles aujourd'hui: En général, elle réussissait A tout ce qu'elle entreprenait (STENDHAL). - Vous avez mille fois plus d'esprit qu'il n'en faut pour réussir A ce projet (BALZAC).
> _*Réussir un examen*_ est critiqué pour une autre raison: c'est le professeur qui examine, et non le candidat. Il serait plus logique de dire _réussir à un examen_, mais _examen_ a relâché son lien avec _examiner_.
> _Réussir *A *un examen_: Papa venait justement de passer des examens et d'y réussir (DUHAMEL)). - Je me rendis dans cette ville pour un examen. J'Y réussis assez brillamment (BOSCO).
> _Réussir un examen_: Je le réussirai, cet examen (BEAUVOIR, cit. Ph. Baiwir,dans le Soir, 23 avril 1958). - Je réussis mes examens (VIALAR)​


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## Maître Capello

Il est certes possible de dire _y réussir_, mais c'est un tour rare à notre époque. De nous jours on dira _les réussir_ comme suggéré plus haut.


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