In affirmative commands, y and en attach after the verb with a hyphen, like the object pronouns you know:
| Go ahead! | Vas-y ! |
| Go ahead, I'm listening to you. | Allez-y, je vous écoute. |
| Let's go there together. | Allons-y ensemble. |
The -s comes back
The tu imperative of -er verbs and aller drops its -s (va, reste, mange). Before y or en, the -s is restored and pronounced /z/:
| plain | before y / en |
|---|---|
| Va ! | Vas-y ! |
| Reste ! | Restes-y ! |
| Mange ! | Manges-en ! |
| Stay there a little longer. | Restes-y encore un peu. |
| Take a little of it. | Prends-en un peu. |
| Eat some of it, it's good! | Manges-en, c'est bon ! |
Negative commands
In negative commands, y and en go back before the verb — and the -s stays dropped:
| Don't go there tonight. | N'y va pas ce soir. |
| Don't eat too much of it. | N'en mange pas trop. |
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