How to Say ‘There has been / There have been’ in French
Il y a eu
eel ee ah uh
[eel ee ah uh]
💬 Usage Tip: [Il y a eu] is the past of [il y a] "there is/there are," so it means "there was" or "there have been." You can reuse it with anything that happened: [Il y a eu un problème] or [Il y a eu beaucoup de monde].
Phrase Breakdown
Il
[eel]
it / there
Part of the fixed expression 'il y a,' which means 'there is' or 'there was.'
Il est rare que toute la famille soit libre en même temps.
It is rare that the whole family is free at the same time.
y
[ee]
there
This small word is part of the expression 'il y a.'
Il y a souvent beaucoup d'ambiance chez mes beaux-parents.
There is often a lot of atmosphere at my in-laws' home.
a
[ah]
has / have
From avoir; part of 'il y a' meaning 'there is/are' or in the past expression 'there was/were.'
Il a préparé le dessert pour tout le monde.
He prepared dessert for everyone.
eu
[uh]
been / had
Past participle of avoir; here it helps form 'there have been' or 'there was.'
Il y a eu un grand repas dimanche dernier.
There was a big meal last Sunday.
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