How this two-letter word can change the meaning of a French sentence

French learners will quickly encounter certain small words that seem to pop up everywhere. 

In some cases, these are filler words, but in others, they can be grammatical constructions that when used correctly can greatly improve your fluency.

Read more: Voilà ! Six French ‘filler’ words that are good to know

One of these is the pronoun ‘en’. 

It might look tiny, but it can affect the meaning of a sentence in numerous ways.

Using ‘en’ correctly in spoken French can help avoid the use of repetition and make you sound smoother and more fluent. 

What does ‘en’ mean?

At its core, ‘en’ replaces phrases that involve ‘de’ (of, from, about). 

It can refer to things or quantities previously mentioned, often meaning ‘some’, ‘of it’, or ‘from it’.

This is done to avoid repetition, and make sentences flow easier. 

For example: Tu veux du café ? (Do you want some coffee?) Oui, j’en veux. (Yes, I want some [of it].) 

Or: Parle-t-il de son voyage ? (Is he talking about his trip?) Oui, il en parle. (Yes, he’s talking about it.)

In these examples, ‘en’ replaces ‘du café’ and ‘de son voyage’ to avoid repetition. 

Beyond its basic function however, ‘en’ plays an important role in certain idiomatic expressions. 

In each case, it helps in giving more nuance and context to the expression, referring to something implicit in the conversation.

Below, we cover five key expressions where ‘en’ is utilised in this way.

S'en sortir – To Manage, To Get Through It

The phrase ‘s'en sortir’ means to manage, cope, or get out of a difficult situation. 

Here, ‘en’ refers to a situation or a problem in the sentence.

Elle a eu des problèmes financiers, mais elle s'en est sortie. (She had financial problems, but she managed to get through it.)

In this case, ‘en’ refers to the financial problems, even though they are not explicitly repeated. It implies overcoming something challenging. 

Without ‘en’ the sentence would lose this sense of resolving a difficult situation.

S'en vouloir – To Blame Oneself, To Feel Guilty

The expression ‘s'en vouloir’ means to feel guilty or to blame oneself. 

In this case, ‘en’ refers to the reason for guilt or what someone is upset about.

S'en vouloir is much more specific than simply saying to feel bad or to regret. 

It captures a sense of personal responsibility and guilt.

Je m'en veux d'avoir oublié ton anniversaire. (I feel bad for forgetting your birthday.)

S’en aller – To go away, to leave

This is a structure often used in spoken as opposed to written French and creates the idea of leaving a place or moving away from something.

Il s'en va demain. (He is leaving tomorrow.)

S'en prendre à quelqu'un – To lash out at someone, to blame someone

In this case, the ‘en’ refers to the source of frustration, and can translate as to take something out on someone. 

Pourquoi t'en prends-tu à moi ? (Why are you blaming me/taking it out on me?)

En vouloir à quelqu'un – To be mad at someone, to hold a grudge

‘En’ refers to the reason for the anger or resentment—some action or event that has caused the speaker to feel upset. 

The cause of the resentment is usually implied rather than explicitly stated in the sentence.

Elle m'en veut encore pour ce que j’ai dit. (She’s still mad at me for what I said.)

Read more: Learning French: when to use au fait versus en fait