Learn Hardcore French: Il y a peu de pain sur la table. - There is little bread on the table.

No. Il y a is invariable and means there is/there are. The il is impersonal, y is an adverb meaning there, and a is the 3rd-person singular of avoir. It stays the same whether the noun is singular or plural: Il y a du pain / Il y a des pains.

Why is it peu de pain and not an article like du pain?

After adverbs of quantity (e.g., peu, beaucoup, trop, assez), French uses de directly before the noun, with no article:

peu de pain, beaucoup de pain, trop de pain Use the partitive (du/de la/des) only when you are not using a quantity word: Il y a du pain sur la table.

What’s the difference between peu de and un peu de?

peu de = little/not much, with a negative or insufficient nuance (often implies “too little”).
un peu de = a little/a bit of, with a neutral or mildly positive nuance (some is available). So: Il y a peu de pain suggests it’s almost not enough; Il y a un peu de pain suggests there’s some.

Could I say peu du pain or peu des pains?

Usually no. Use plain peu de for an unspecified quantity. You only use a definite article after peu when you mean “little/few of the specific …”:

Il reste peu du pain que nous avons cuit = Little of the bread that we baked remains.
Peu des pains que nous avons achetés sont frais = Few of the loaves we bought are fresh. Without that specific “of the …” meaning, stick to peu de.

Is pain countable or uncountable here?

Here it’s uncountable (bread as a substance), so peu de pain = not much bread. If you count loaves or types, you can use the plural: peu de pains = few loaves/kinds of bread.

How do I pronounce the whole sentence?

Approximate pronunciation: [il ja pø də pɛ̃ syʁ la tabl]

Il y a: “eel-ya”; in casual speech often “ya”.
peu: “pø” (like the vowel in French deux).
pain: “pɛ̃” (nasal vowel; don’t pronounce the final n).
sur: “syʁ” (French u).
la table: “la tabl” (final e often silent in standard speech). No required liaisons here.

Why is it sur la table and not à la table or dans la table?

sur = on (in contact with the surface): sur la table.
à with table usually means “at the table” (seated): à table.
dans = in/inside: dans la table would mean inside the table (not intended here). If it’s above but not touching, use au-dessus de la table.

Why is it la table and not le table?

Because table is feminine in French. Singular articles: la table, une table. Plural: les tables, des tables.

How would I say the negative “There isn’t much bread on the table”?

Two common ways:

Il n’y a pas beaucoup de pain sur la table.
Il y a très peu de pain sur la table. Remember: after negation (ne … pas), use de (not des) before a noun without a specific article: Il n’y a pas de pain.

How do I ask “Is there little bread on the table?” correctly?

Three options:

Statement with rising intonation: Il y a peu de pain sur la table ?
Est-ce qu’il y a peu de pain sur la table ?
Inversion (formal): Y a-t-il peu de pain sur la table ?
Avoid Il y a-t-il …; with inversion it’s always Y a-t-il ….

What are the past and future forms of il y a?

Imperfect (there was/used to be): il y avait
Passé composé (there was/there have been): il y a eu
Future (there will be): il y aura
Conditional (there would be): il y aurait

Does il y a also mean “ago”?

Yes. Il y a + a time expression = “ago”: Il y a deux jours = two days ago. Context tells you whether it’s “there is/are” or “ago”.

Can I drop il and say Y a peu de pain?

In casual speech, yes: Y a pas de pain / Y a peu de pain. In standard writing or careful speech, keep il: Il y a …

When should I use du pain instead of de pain?

Neutral “some bread”: Il y a du pain sur la table.
After a quantity word or negation: de pain (no article): peu de pain, beaucoup de pain, pas de pain.

Can I move the place phrase to the front?

Yes, for emphasis or style: Sur la table, il y a peu de pain. The meaning stays the same.

How can I intensify or soften peu?

Intensify insufficiency: très peu de, si peu de, tellement peu de, à peine de (rare).
Soften/neutral: un peu de, un tout petit peu de.
Near zero: presque pas de.

Is peu the same word as peut?

No:

peu = little/few (quantity).
peut = he/she/it can (3rd person singular of pouvoir). They sound the same in isolation but mean different things; spelling shows the difference in writing.

Any other quantity expressions built like peu de I should know?

Yes, all followed by de + noun:

beaucoup de (a lot of), assez de (enough), trop de (too much/many)
plus de (more), moins de (less/fewer), autant de (as much/many)
combien de (how much/many), tant de (so much/many), pas mal de (quite a few)