When to use “Il y a” vs “C’est” in French?

Goal: Learn how to use “Il y a” and “C’est” the right way – and sound natural in real life French!

Why is this important?

In English, you say:
✅ There is a problem.
✅ There are two cats.

But in French… it’s not that simple!

You need to know when to use “Il y a” and when to use “C’est” – both can mean “there is”, but they’re used differently.

Let’s make it clear.

🔹 1. Use Il y a for “there is / there are”

Il y a = there is or there are
(Good news: it’s the same form for singular and plural!)

✅ Examples:

• Il y a un problème. → There is a problem.
• Il y a deux chats. → There are two cats.
• Il y a du monde. → There are people.
• Il y a une boulangerie ici. → There’s a bakery here.

Think of “il y a” as the go-to structure when you’re talking about:

• what exists
• what is present somewhere
• what you can find

🔹 2. Use C’est / Ce sont when pointing something out

C’est is used for identifying or introducing something/someone.
It’s like saying “this is” / “that is”.

✅ Examples:

• C’est Marie. → That’s Marie.
• C’est mon livre. → That’s my book.
• Ce sont mes parents. → Those are my parents.
• C’est un bon film. → That’s a good movie.

💡 Use C’est when followed by:

• an article + noun → C’est un ami
• a name or pronoun → C’est elle
• a possessive → C’est mon frère
• an adjective describing a general idea → C’est important

🆚 Side-by-side comparison

Bonus tip: use it in real life

Imagine you arrive in a new town:

🔸 Il y a une gare → There’s a train station
🔸 C’est la gare principale → That’s the main station

Practice time!

Fill in the blanks with “Il y a” or “C’est” / “Ce sont”:

1. _ un problème.
2. _ mes parents.
3. _ une fête ce soir.
4. _ mon livre préféré.
5. _ deux cafés dans la rue.

📌 Recap

Want to go further?

Using Il y a and C’est properly is a great first step to natural conversation.