How to Say ‘There is / there are’ in French
Qu'il y a
keel eel ee ah
[keel eel ee ah]
💬 Usage Tip: [Qu'] only appears joined to the next word: here [qu'il]. Before a vowel sound, [que] shortens to [qu'], so it can't stand alone.
Phrase Breakdown
Qu'
[keel]
that / what
Contracted form of que before a vowel; here part of a question structure.
Qu'il y a un problème, c'est évident.
That there is a problem is obvious.
il
[eel]
he / it
A subject pronoun meaning he or it; in il y a, it is part of a fixed expression meaning there is/are.
Qu'il y a une fuite, le propriétaire le sait déjà.
That there is a leak, the landlord already knows it.
y
[ee]
there
In il y a, y helps form the expression there is / there are.
Qu'il y a une panne d'eau chaude est possible.
That there is a hot water failure is possible.
a
[ah]
has / is
Form of avoir; in il y a, it means there is or there are.
Qu'il y a un plombier disponible aujourd'hui serait idéal.
That there is a plumber available today would be ideal.
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