What does 'en' represent in 'On en apprend tous les jours'?

[Zhongjie Fan]

I got confused.

In phrase 'On en apprend tous les jours.', what does 'en' represent?

Can I response 'Oui, je l'apprends tous les jours.' if someone ask me 'Est-ce que tu apprends le francais?' Merci~~

 

Jerry Fan

[Erwan]

En , in you phrase, means "something". We are learning something everyday.

"Oui, je l'apprends tous les jours" is correct but not in the context you propose.

 

i.e :

- Apprends-tu ta poésie correctement?

- Oui, je l'apprends tous les jours.

 

But  

- Est-ce que tu apprends le français.

- Oui j'apprends le français et je m'améliore de jour en jour

 

If you say "Oui, je l'apprends tous les jours"  then you talk about French as a subject at school not as a language.

[Zhongjie Fan]

Merci de votre réponse, Erwan.

 

As I know, usually 'en' can be replaced by 'de+.....', but apprendre is normally followed by something directly, may I know why people like to use 'en' here. e.g.: J'en apprends tous les jours. Merci~~

[Erwan]

In this kind of construction en is a often a recurrence of a part of the phrase.

i.e. : Il en sait des choses. Here, en = des choses.

apprendre can be followed by a COD (apprendre ses leçons) or a COI (apprendre à quelqu'un).

 

You have to separate 2 things:

- en as apronoun like in your example

- en in a preposition. Il part en vacances

[Zhongjie Fan]

Looks like 'en' can represent not only 'de+.....', but more, like something.

Je le compris. Mecri, Erwan.

[Erwan]

small correction : J'ai compris  :)

[Zhongjie Fan]

Non, attend.

Can I say 'On l'apprend tous les jours.'? Is it same as 'On en apprend tous les jours.'?

[Erwan]

You can say On l'apprend tous les jours . It means "We learn it every day" but it doesn't mean On en apprend tout les jours (We learn something every day)

[Neil Coffey]

I don't know if this helps to understand better, but you can imagine the "en" as literally meaning "some of it" -- so in effect, in English you'd say "I learn a bit (of French) every day".

 

Another case of using "en" in this way:

"Est-ce que tu veux du lait?" - Do you want some milk?

"Oui, j'en veux." -> Yes, I want some (of it).

 

"As-tu des frères et soeurs?" - Do you have any brothers and sisters?

"Oui, j'en ai deux." -> Yes, I have two (of them).

 

The bits in brackets would actually sound a bit odd in English and tend to be omitted, but that's the literal meaning.

[Jervon Voltage]

A little correction: "Oui,  j'en ai deux." :-)

[Neil Coffey]

Ooops, thank you -- well spotted! I've corrected it in the above.

[Zhongjie Fan]

Merci à vous tous!

BTW: I like the atomsphere here.