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Si tu veux un bonbon, prends-en un sur l'étagère.

Si tu veux un bonbon, prends-en un sur l'étagère.
If you want a candy, take one from the shelf.
FromLesson 20inHardcore French

Questions & Answers about Si tu veux un bonbon, prends-en un sur l'étagère.

What does en refer to in prends-en un?
en is a pronoun that replaces a noun phrase introduced by de. Here it stands in for des bonbons (or un bonbon) mentioned in the first clause. So instead of repeating bonbons, you use en plus a number word (-un-) to say “take one of them.”
Why do we still need un after en? Can’t we just say prends-en?
en tells you “of them,” but it doesn’t specify how many. The un means “one.” If you said just prends-en, it would mean “take some (of them),” without the precise quantity.
Why is there a hyphen between prends and en?
In affirmative commands (impératif), object and adverbial pronouns come after the verb and are linked with hyphens. So prends (the imperative of prendre for tu) combines with en as prends-en.
Could I replace prends-en un with prends un bonbon? What’s the difference?
Yes, prends un bonbon is grammatically correct. But prends-en un avoids repeating bonbon since you just mentioned it. It sounds more natural when you refer back to something already named.
How would this sentence change if I wanted to be more polite or address several people?

Switch tu to vous and use the 2nd-person-plural imperative:
Si vous voulez un bonbon, prenez-en un sur l’étagère.

How can I make this command negative with en?

In a negative imperative, pronouns precede the verb and you wrap it in ne…pas. For example:
N’en prends pas.
(= “Don’t take any (of them).”)
If you really want “Don’t take one,” you could add un seul: N’en prends pas un seul.

Why is there a comma after Si tu veux un bonbon?
When a subordinate clause (here introduced by si) comes before the main clause, French punctuation usually inserts a comma before the main clause.
Why use sur l’étagère instead of de l’étagère?
sur means “on” (location). You’re telling someone to take a candy that lies on top of the shelf. de l’étagère would mean “of the shelf,” which doesn’t express that location.
Can I swap the order of the clauses?

Absolutely. You can say:
Prends-en un sur l’étagère si tu veux un bonbon.
When the main clause comes first, the comma before si is optional.

How do I pronounce prends-en un and l’étagère?
  • prends-en un: [pʁɑ̃z‿ɑ̃ œ̃] (liaison turns the final “s” of prends into a /z/ sound)
  • l’étagère: [le.ta.ʒɛʁ]
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Every French noun is either masculine or feminine, and this affects the articles and adjectives used with it. "Le" is used with masculine nouns and "la" with feminine ones. Adjectives also change form to match — for example, "petit" (masc.) becomes "petite" (fem.).

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