y et le

Question

In the first exercise of the day I answered ‘y’ instead of the correct ‘le’. In answering a question in the following exercise I entered ‘le’ instead of the correct ‘y’. Very frustrating! This, after reading both lesson explanations several times over the last few months. This is an observation, not a question. Not your problem, it’s mine. But may I suggest preparing a quick lesson that includes both pronouns. If it already exists please point me to it. Merci !

Accepted Answer

Bonjour Richard,
Thank you for your comment! I will pass it on to the French language team.
Also, take a look here: On the test the question was "Il pense à sa famille. Elle y pense aussi.
I hope this is helpful.
Bonne journée !

Answer

Here's a quick overview that you might find helpful:
Both y and le/la/les are pronouns, that is, they stand in for proper nouns. The difference is that y can only stand in for indirect objects preceded by the preposition à, whereas le/la/les substitutes for direct object pronouns (* A direct object is one which has no preposition in front and which you can ask for by "what".)
Tu vas à la piscine? -- Oui j'y vais.The indirect object (la piscine) is preceded by à and therefore can be replaced by y.
Tu manges la pomme? -- Oui, je la mange.The direct object (la pomme) can be replaced by either la (female nouns) or le (male nouns) or les (plural nouns). Here it is a female noun, hence we use la.

Answer

Bonjour Richard,In addition to the lesson relating to your observation, you may find the following link helpful:-https://www.lawlessfrench.com/grammar/definite-article/Bonne continuationJim

Answer

Thanks for all replies. Great community!