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French Phrase

Il y a une collecte à l'école ?

/il‿i‿a yn kɔ.lɛkt‿a le.kɔl/
Meaning"Is there a collection at school?"
💡

Meaning

Literally, 'Is there a collection at the school?' It is used to ask whether a fundraising or donation drive is taking place at the school. The question can be informal; a more formal version would use inversion.

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When to use

Use this sentence when you want to confirm if a school is organizing a money‑drive, a food collection, or any other kind of gathering of items. It works in casual conversation with classmates, parents, or teachers.

✦Grammar Breakdown

Ilyaunecollecteàl'école?

1

Il y a

The fixed expression 'il y a' means 'there is' or 'there are' and is used to introduce the existence of something.

2

Collecte

A feminine noun meaning a collection, usually of money or items, often for a fundraising purpose.

3

À l'école

Prepositional phrase indicating location; 'à' + definite article 'l'' contracts to 'à l'' before a vowel.

4

Question intonation

When the sentence is spoken as a question without inversion, the pitch rises at the end.

🗨In Conversation

A

Il y a une collecte à l'école ?

Is there a collection at school?

Oui, ils collectent des fonds pour le voyage de classe.

Yes, they're collecting money for the class trip.

B

✕Common Mistakes

  • Il y a est‑ce une collecte à l'école ?

    Do not combine 'il y a' with 'est‑ce que'; choose one question form.

  • Il y a une collectes à l'école ?

    The noun 'collecte' is singular; the plural is 'collectes' without the article 'une'.

  • Il y a une collecte à le école ?

    When the noun starts with a vowel, the article contracts to 'l'' (à l'école).

↔Alternatives

  • Y a‑t‑il une collecte à l'école ?

    Is there a collection at school?

  • Est‑ce qu'il y a une collecte à l'école ?

    Is there a collection at school?

  • On fait une collecte à l'école ?

    Are we doing a collection at school?

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Cultural Tip

In French primary and secondary schools, 'collecte' often refers to a fundraising campaign for a school trip, new equipment, or a charity project. It is polite to ask about it before offering to contribute, and you may hear teachers say 'Nous organisons une collecte' rather than 'Il y a une collecte'.