# FR: Est-ce qu'il y a un piano chez elle ?



## linaaaap

So, I have this french grammar exercise book and there is this exercise about the use of "y".
Question: Est-ce il y a un piano chez elle?
Answer 1: (I would say) Oui, il y a. 
Answer 2: (I would say) Non, il n' y a pas.
Is this right? Should I put another "y" somewhere to replace "chez elle"?
Thanks!


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## Pierre Simon

Hullo Linaaaap and welcome to WR 

If there is a piano, then you need to say in French that 'yes, there is _one of them'_.

I hope that this helps.


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## Maître Capello

To answer the question, because we cannot have two _y_'s in the sentence, we would use _là-bas_ to replace _chez elle_:

_Il y y en a un. _
_Il y en a un *là-bas*._

P.S.: Welcome linaaaap!


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## linaaaap

Hello! I'm really happy I finally joined this forum, it's always been so helpful!
As for the answer, I had totally forgotten I should replace "un piano" too! Thank you very much!


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## jeune linguiste

Bonsoir,

les réponses seront:
1. Oui, il y EN a UN (il y a un piano)
2. Non, il n'y EN a pas (il n'y a pas de piano)


Cordialement,


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## Babel3000

jeune linguiste said:


> Bonsoir,
> 
> les réponses seront:
> 1. Oui, il y EN a UN (il y a un piano)
> 2. Non, il n'y EN a pas (il n'y a pas de piano)
> 
> 
> Cordialement,


 
That is the most natural answer, no need for _*là-bas:*_
_EN _means _piano_
_Y _means_ chez elle._


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## linaaaap

Thanks a lot! Really helpful!


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## geostan

No. The _y_ has nothing to do with _chez elle_. It is part of the impersonal expression _Il y a_, which means: _There is_ or _There are_. Whether or not you replace _chez elle_ with another expression as suggested by Maître Capello is your choice, but it has nothing to do with _y_.

Cheers!


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## Maître Capello

I agree with geostan: the _y_ is part of the set expression _il y a_ and has no meaning of its own in this context.


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## Babel3000

geostan said:


> No. The _y_ has nothing to do with _chez elle_. It is part of the impersonal expression _Il y a_, which means: _There is_ or _There are_. Whether or not you replace _chez elle_ with another expression as suggested by Maître Capello is your choice, but it has nothing to do with _y_.
> 
> Cheers!


 
No:
il a - it has   (_il _used as the impersonal _it_)
il y a - there is.  The Y is about the location (in this case chez elle). Of course it is part of the expression.


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## jeune linguiste

Babel3000 said:


> No:
> il a - it has   (_il _used as the impersonal _it_)
> il y a - there is.  The Y is about the location (in this case chez elle). Of course it is part of the expression.




  Oh well, you can say "Il y a un piano chez elle" as well. I kind of agree with geostan.


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## Maître Capello

Babel3000 said:


> No:
> il a - it has   (_il _used as the impersonal _it_)
> il y a - there is.  The Y is about the location (in this case chez elle). Of course it is part of the expression.


Let me disagree… _Il a un piano chez elle_  doesn't make any sense at all (that is, if you assume _il_ is impersonal). This proves that the _il_ is part of the expression _il y a_ and that _il _cannot be used without _y_ and vice versa. Hence the _y_ *cannot* stand for _chez elle_.


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## geostan

Babel3000 said:


> No:
> il a - it has   (_il _used as the impersonal _it_)
> il y a - there is.  The Y is about the location (in this case chez elle). Of course it is part of the expression.



Perhaps you'e thinking that in the translation _There is_, the _*there*_ has the meaning of *là*. But that isn't so. _Il y a_ as an expression = more or less _Il existe. Il y a _may be replaced with_ Il est _with the same meaning.


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## Babel3000

Maître Capello said:


> Let me disagree… _Il a un piano chez elle_  doesn't make any sense at all (that is, if you assume _il_ is impersonal). This proves that the _il_ is part of the expression _il y a_ and that _il _cannot be used without _y_ and vice versa. Hence the _y_ *cannot* stand for _chez elle_.


 
read my post again!! Y=chez elle, no question about it.


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## geostan

Babel3000 said:


> read my post again!! Y=chez elle, no question about it.



If that is true, to what does the _y_ refer when you mention _chez elle?_ 

_Il y a un piano chez elle._


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## jeune linguiste

Babel3000 said:


> read my post again!! Y=chez elle, no question about it.



 You're completely wrong !* IL Y A *is a set phrase ! The* Y* does not mean CHEZ ELLE.


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## Babel3000

jeune linguiste said:


> You're completely wrong !* IL Y A *is a set phrase ! The* Y* does not mean CHEZ ELLE.


 
You are completely right, in your wrongness...(sorry for rephrasing your tone) I think I know it is a set phrase since it it my native language. It is like explaining to a non native the definition of _ne...pas_ , an other indissociable set. Ne=no and pas=no. When using _y _(in il y en a un) we normally use _chez_ after, like _ne/pas_ different words but the same meaning.


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