Question 1

Why do we use y here, and what exactly does it replace?

Accepted Answer

In French, the expression for "to pay attention to" is faire attention à. Because it requires the preposition à, we use the pronoun y to replace à plus an inanimate object or idea. In this sentence, y translates simply to "to it".

Question 2

Why is y placed in the middle of the sentence before faire, rather than at the beginning before devons?

Accepted Answer

When you have a conjugated verb followed by an infinitive (like devons faire), object pronouns almost always go right before the infinitive they logically belong to. Because you are "paying attention to it" (y faire attention), the y must go directly before faire.

Question 3

Could I say nous devons faire attention à ça instead of using y?

Accepted Answer

Yes, in casual, everyday spoken French, you will sometimes hear faire attention à ça. However, using y is the standard, most natural way to express "to it" in both written and spoken French, so it is the best habit to build.

Question 4

Is the word symbole masculine or feminine? It ends in an "e" but uses un.

Accepted Answer

It is masculine: un symbole. While many French words ending in -e are feminine, words ending in -ole or -ème are often masculine exceptions (like un problème or un rôle). Notice that the adjective bizarre also ends in an -e; this is its standard spelling for both masculine and feminine nouns.

Nous devons y faire attention parce que la serrure a un symbole bizarre.

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