When the Spanish conjunction y becomes e

There are specific cases when the conjunction y (meaning and) becomes e.

Learn about Spanish conjunction y becoming e

 

When the word that follows y starts with i-

Marcos e Inma llegaron ayer por la tarde.Marcos and Inma arrived yesterday afternoon.

Vimos muchos museos e iglesias en Roma.We saw lots of museums and churches in Rome.

 

When the word that follows y starts with hi-

Remember that the letter h is not pronounced in Spanish.

Padres e hijos son bienvenidos a nuestro club.Parents and children are welcome in our club.

Necesitas aguja e hilo para coser ese vestido.You need needle and thread to mend that dress.

 

Exceptions

If the word following y starts with "hie-", which makes the whole syllable sound more like the consonant "y-", then the conjunction y does not become e. For example:

Las legumbres aportan proteínas y hierro a nuestro cuerpo.Pulses provide proteins and iron for our bodies.

Sounds like [yerro]

Debes añadir limón y hielo a ese cóctel.You must add lemon and ice to that cocktail.

Sounds like [yelo]

Also, when we use "y" at the beginning of a question, followed by a word starting with "i" or "hi", the y doesn't become e. For example:

¿Y Inma? ¿Dónde está?And Inma? Where is she?

¿Y Hilario? ¿Sabes algo de él?And Hilario? Do you know anything about him?

¿Y Inglaterra? Inglaterra sería una buena opción...And England? [What about England?] England would be a good option...

When the word following the conjunction y starts with a different letter to i or but it is pronounced with the same sound as the Spanish "i" because it is a foreign word, then the conjunction must be "e", not "y". For example:

He enviado varios mensajes de texto e e-mails, pero no me contestan.I have sent several text messages and e-mails, but they are not answering.

 

 

 

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Examples and resources

Marcos e Inma llegaron ayer por la tarde.Marcos and Inma arrived yesterday afternoon.
Vimos muchos museos e iglesias en Roma.We saw lots of museums and churches in Rome.
Padres e hijos son bienvenidos a nuestro club.Parents and children are welcome in our club.
Necesitas aguja e hilo para coser ese vestido.You need needle and thread to mend that dress.
Debes añadir limón y hielo a ese cóctel.You must add lemon and ice to that cocktail.
Las legumbres aportan proteínas y hierro a nuestro cuerpo.Pulses provide proteins and iron for our bodies.
¿Y Inma? ¿Dónde está?And Inma? Where is she?
¿Y Inglaterra? Inglaterra sería una buena opción...And England? [What about England?] England would be a good option...
¿Y Hilario? ¿Sabes algo de él?And Hilario? Do you know anything about him?
He enviado varios mensajes de texto e e-mails, pero no me contestan.I have sent several text messages and e-mails, but they are not answering.
I'll be right with you...