The pronoun of quantity (en)
The pronoun en replaces nouns related to quantity, translating to "of it," "of them," "some," or "any." Use en to avoid repeating a noun introduced by an indefinite article (un, une, des), a partitive article (du, de la), or a number.
Like other pronouns, en goes directly before the conjugated verb.
| Does your family have a farm? | Est-ce que votre famille a une ferme ? |
| Yes, we have one in the country. | Oui, nous en avons une à la campagne. |
Notice that while en replaces the noun, the number (une) remains at the end to specify how many.
Specifying the amount
When using a quantity expression (like beaucoup, meaning "a lot") or an exact number, en goes before the verb, but the quantity word stays at the end.
| In his large field, the farmer produces wheat. | Dans son grand champ, le fermier produit du blé. |
| He produces a lot of it to sell at the market. | Il en produit beaucoup pour vendre au marché. |
| How many sheep do you have? | Combien de moutons est-ce que vous avez ? |
| We have exactly eighty of them. | Nous en avons exactement quatre-vingts. |
Using "en" with negation
In negative sentences, en stays attached to the verb. The negative ne and pas surround the pronoun and the verb together.
| We do not have any cows and we do not want any. | Nous n'avons pas de vaches et nous n'en voulons pas. |
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