Vous invitez des amis les jours de fête? Oui, je les invite.

Vera Maria P.A1Kwiziq community member

Vous invitez des amis les jours de fête? Oui, je les invite.

Is it correct?

Asked 4 years ago
CécileNative French expert teacher in KwiziqCorrect answer

Hi Vera Maria, 

I am afraid I agree with your teacher.

Vous buvez souvent du café ? ---> Oui, j'en bois matin, midi et soir = Do you drink coffe often? --->Yes, I drink some morning, noon and night 

As-tu du pain? --->oui, j'en ai = Do you have any bread? yes, I have some

Vous avez de la farine ? --> Oui, j'en ai beaucoup = Do you have flour? yes, I have a lot (of it )

Vous avez des amis en France ---> Oui, j'en ai plusieurs Do you have friends in France?  Yes, I have several of them.

In these cases 'en' replaces the partitive du, de la, des. 

Les will be used if you know specifically what it replaces -

Tu vas inviter Juan et Martin? Oui, je vais les inviter = Are you going to invite Juan and Martin? Yes, I am going to invite them

Tu invites les voisins? Oui, je les invite Are you inviting the neighbours? Yes I am inviting them

Hope this helps!

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Yes, sounds perfect.

Vera Maria P.A1Kwiziq community member

Is it possible "Oui, j'en invite"?

Vera Maria P.A1Kwiziq community member

My French teacher insits that "Oui, je les invite" it is wrong. For her, "Oui, j'en invite" it is the correct answer! Who I am going to believe?

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

Oui, je les invite is correct, because inviter needs a direct object and that is les and not en. There's one way I can imagine en to come into play:

Vous invitez tous vos amis? -- Non, j'en invite un.
(Do you invite all your friends? -- No, I invite one (of them).

Chris W.C1 Kwiziq Q&A super contributor

I stand corrected.

Vous invitez des amis les jours de fête? Oui, je les invite.

Is it correct?

Sign in to submit your answer

Don't have an account yet? Join today

Ask a question

Find your French level for FREE

Test your French to the CEFR standard

Find your French level
Let me take a look at that...