|
The pronoun il is used when describing the weather or telling time.
| Il pleut. | It's raining. | Il fait beau. | It is nice (outside). | |
| Il neige. | It's snowing. | Il fait mauvais. | It is bad (outside). | |
| Il fait chaud. | It is hot. | Il fait du vent. | It's windy. |
|
| Il fait froid. | It is cold. | Il fait du soleil. | It's sunny. | |
| Il est six heures. | It is six o'clock. | Il est midi. | It is noon. |
Il here represents the state of things- the world or universe at that moment.
|
The verb falloir is always used with il and expresses what is needed or what must be done.
| Il faut arranger le chambre. | The room must be cleaned/tidied up. | |
| Il faut aider les pauvres. | One must help the poor. | |
| Il ne faut pas être égoïste. | One must not be selfish. |
Il y a is used to express 'there is'.
| Il y a un ours sur la montagne | There is a bear on the mountain. | |
| Il y a un passage secret derrière ce mur. | There is a secret passage behind this wall. |
and ___ 'ago'.
| Il y a un siècle, l'ordinateur n'existait pas. | A century ago, the computer didn't exit. |
