Breakdown of À l’est du village, il y a un vieux port; à l’ouest, un petit champ de sable.
être
to be
petit
small
de
of
vieux
old
Questions & Answers about À l’est du village, il y a un vieux port; à l’ouest, un petit champ de sable.
What does il y a literally mean, and how is it used in French?
Il y a is the standard way to say “there is / there are” in French.
- Literally, il y a comes from il (it) + y (there) + a (has), so the literal structure is a bit like “it there has”, but you should just remember it as “there is/are”.
- It is used for both singular and plural:
- Il y a un vieux port. = There is an old port.
- Il y a deux vieux ports. = There are two old ports.
- It often comes after a time or place expression, as in:
- À l’est du village, il y a un vieux port.
To the east of the village, there is an old port.
- À l’est du village, il y a un vieux port.
Why is it À l’est du village and not au est du village?