The Basics of French Prepositions
Learn the basics of French Prepositions with this short and simple lesson. Plus a review of prepositions in English.
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REMINDERS ON WHEN AND HOW PREPOSITIONS ARE USEDLIST OF PREPOSITIONS IN FRENCHOTHER PREPOSITIONSHere are some FAQs about French PrepositionsDifficulty: Intermediate
We use prepositions so much in our daily speech but we often take these things for granted.
Most of the time, it results in misuse of English prepositions or interchanging our ins and ons and ats. Therefore, a clear grasp (or a working knowledge at the very least) of English prepositions is in order before we could thoroughly learn about its French counterparts.
We operate on the premise that before you can take on another language, you have to be familiar with how your very own language works first.
So on that note, let’s take a quick look at what prepositions are in the English language.
- Prepositions function as linking words that show the relationship between the other words in the sentence.
- Prepositions help put into perspective the time and place of a certain topic.
- These include the words at, to, from, for, with, into, between, beside, under, within, and several others.
- Prepositions are followed by a noun, a pronoun, or an English word that ends in -ing.
Examples:
It’s from her.
He’s in trouble.
It’s made for handling food.
REMINDERS ON WHEN AND HOW PREPOSITIONS ARE USED
- Prepositions are used before a noun or a pronoun.
- Prepositions can also appear after some adjectives, linking it to the rest of the sentence.
- English commonly puts prepositions at the end of questions and relative clauses; this is grammatical. French normally keeps a preposition with its complement, as in Avec qui parles-tu ? (“Who are you speaking with?”).
- Prepositions do not change their form. There are no plural forms, tenses, or genders (whew!!! Thank heavens!)
- Prepositions can have an object, but it can also be optional in some cases.
- Some prepositions consist of more than one word.
- In French, just like in English, the actual usage of some prepositions can be idiomatic. This means its use could often vary depending on the sentence itself.
- There is no actual 1:1 translation of English and French prepositions. The best we can do is learn the words which are more or less their equivalents.
Now let’s get to the French prepositions list!
LIST OF PREPOSITIONS IN FRENCH
| French preposition | English equivalent | Tips |
| à | at, in, on, to | • This is not to be confused with the il/elle/on form of avoir (il a). • Remember: à+le becomes au; à+les becomes aux • There are varied uses of à. • à can be used with de to mean from…to. • Other uses of à are: to describe how someone looks or what he/she is wearing, what a certain thing is made of, how something is done, mode of traveling, what a thing is used for, to tell a certain time, for distances or rates, and in common sayings and phrases. • Examples: à la maison (could mean at home or to the house depending on how it is used) à la campagne (in the country) au lit (in bed) de Londres à Paris (From London to Paris) au premier étage (on the first floor) à Noël (at Christmas) à bientôt (see you soon!) |
| après | after | Examples: après vous! (after you!) après le déjeuner. (after lunch) |
| avant | before | Examples: avant toi (before you) avant la maison (before the house) |
| avec | with | Examples: avec moi (with me) avec mon père (with my father) |
| chez | at/to __’s house or place; on/from the area of, from/at __’s | Examples: chez moi (at my place) Elle est chez Frederic (She’s at Frederic’s house) Elle va chez Frederic (She’s going to Frederic’s house) |
| contre | against | Example: contre le mur (against the wall) |
| dans | in(side), into | Examples: dans deux mois (in two months) Il est dans sa chambre. (he’s in his room) |
| de | of, from | • de+le becomes du, de+les becomes des • de becomes d’ before a vowel or silent h, including before y; an aspirated h blocks elision. • Used with à to mean from… to. • Used to tell who or what something belongs to. • Tells us what something is made of. • Tells us what a thing is used for. • Used in superlatives • Used in phrases that refer to quantities. Examples: de Paris (from Paris) un ami de la famille (friend of the family) une tasse de café (a cup of coffee) |
| depuis | since, from, for | • Can be used to talk about an action that started in the past and is still going on (present tense is used for this) Examples: je travaille depuis deux jours (I’ve been working for two days) depuis 1922 (since 1922) |
| derrière | behind | Example: derrière la porte (behind the door) |
| devant | in front of, outside (the front of) | Example: Elle est assise devant moi. (she’s sitting in front of me) |
| en | in | • en normally appears without an article in expressions such as en France or en train. Some fixed expressions include an article, such as en l’honneur de. • Usually being used with feminine countries and some figurative expressions. • Can also talk about years and months and seasons. Examples: Nous habitons en France. (we live in France) en 1983 (in 1983) en janvier (in January) en hiver (in winter) en train (by train) |
| entre | between, among | • Entre…et means between..and in English. Example: Le bureau est fermé entre 13 et 14 heures. (The office is closed between 1 and 2 pm) |
| envers | towards | • Envers is used to mean”towards” as in an action to a person. (Example: She was hostile towards him.) • When referring to a physical motion such as going towards something, vers is used. |
| environ (adverb) | about, approximately | Environ is an adverb of approximation, rather than a preposition: environ 20 personnes (about 20 people). |
| par | by, through, per, with | Examples: deux par deux (two by two) par email (by email) |
| pendant | During, for | Examples: pendant l’été (during the summer) pendant plusieurs mois (for several months) |
| pour | For, in order to | Examples: pour homme (for men) pour Paris (for Paris) |
| sans | without | Example: sans sucre (without sugar) |
| sauf | except | Example: Tout le monde vient sauf lui. (everyone’s coming except him.) |
| selon | according to, depending on | |
| sous | under(neath) | Example: sous terre (underground) |
| sur | on | Examples: sur la table (on the table) sur la politique (on politics) |
| vers | towards | Also applicable for use with dates to mean “in around…”, “circa…” |
OTHER PREPOSITIONS
Some prepositions contain more than a single word. These are the following:
- au bord deat the edge of at the side of
- au bout deafter
- à cause debecause of
- au-dessous debelow
- au-dessus deabove
- au fond deat the bottom of
- au milieu dein the middle of
Prepositions can be quite a headache to learn, whether in English or French. In fact, even advanced learners often experience confusion when it comes to the different prepositions and the out-of-the-box uses for some.
To thoroughly familiarize yourself with the proper uses of the different prepositions, we suggest that you immerse yourself with the French language through reading and listening. This way, the prepositions will come to you easier and you’ll be able to recall them faster.
Here are some FAQs about French Prepositions
How do you use prepositions in French?
French prepositions normally introduce a complement, such as a noun, pronoun, or infinitive. Unlike English, French generally keeps the preposition with that complement rather than placing it alone at the end of a question or relative clause. Prepositions have no genders, tenses, or plural forms.
The usage of a preposition varies depending on the sentence, and some prepositions can be more than one word. Since French prepositions have no straightforward translation in English, we need to know our prepositions well!
What are some French prepositions?
à (at, in, on, to)
avec (with)
dans (in[side], into)
de (of, from)
en (in)
par (by, through, per, with)
sur (on)
How do you identify prepositions in French?
Similar to English, French prepositions help link words in sentences to add information about time, place, or even the number of people. They help to elaborate, so it is important to know your prepositions. If you can find a linking word that precedes some extra information, chances are that it’s a preposition!
But please study your prepositions so that not only can you identify them, but you can use them in your own sentences!
