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Definition: In French, prepositions are words which link two
related parts of a sentence. They are placed in front of nouns in
order to indicate a relationship between that noun and the verb,
adjective, or noun that precedes it.
Examples in French:
I'm talking to Jean.Je parle Jean.
He is from Paris.Il est de Paris.
The book is for you.Le livre est pour toi.
Common French Prepositions:
1. French Prepositions () - (to, at, in)2. French Prepositions
(aprs & derrire) - (after)3. French Prepositions (avant &
devant) - (before)4. French Prepositions (avec) - (with)5. French
Prepositions (chez) - (among)6. French Prepositions (dans) - (in)7.
French Prepositions (de) - (from, of, about)8. French Prepositions
(depuis) - (since, for)9. French Prepositions (en) - (in, on,
to)10. French Prepositions (pour) - (for)11. French Prepositions
(sans) - (without)12. French Prepositions (sur) - (on)13. French
Prepositions (vers & envers) - (toward)1. Definition: is a very
important preposition, despite its tiny size. Its many different
meanings and uses in French include all of the following.
1. Location or destination
J'habite Paris I live in ParisJe vais Rome I'm going to RomeJe
suis la banque I'm at the bank2. Distance in time or space
J'habite 10 mtres de luiI live 10 meters from him
Il est 5 minutes de moiHe is 5 minutes from me
3. Point in time
Nous arrivons 7h00 We arrive at 7:00Il est mort 100 ans He died
at the age of 100 4. Manner, style, or characteristic
Il habite la franaiseHe lives in the French styleun enfant aux
yeux bleusblue-eyed child / child with blue eyesfait la mainmade by
handaller piedto go on / by foot5. Possession
un ami moi a friend of mineCe livre est Jean This is Jean's
book6. Measurement
acheter au kilo to buy by the kilogrampayer la semaine to pay by
the week7. Purpose or use
une tasse th teacup / cup for teaun sac dos backpack / pack for
the back8. In the passive infinitive
louer for rentJe n'ai rien lire I have nothing to
read2.Definition: There is often confusion between the prepositions
aprs and derrire and their opposites avant and devant.
Aprs and derrire are used in the following circumstances:
1. Aprs expresses something to do with time and means after. It
can be used in front of a temporal expression, noun, pronoun, verb,
or clause.
aprs 3h00after 3:00 aprs le coursafter the class aprs avoir
mangafter eating aprs qu'il le feraafter he does it2. Derrire
expresses position or location (figurative or literal) and means
behind. It can be used only in front of a noun or pronoun.
derrire la maisonbehind the housechercher derrire les
apparenceslook behind (beyond) appearances3.
Definition: Because they can both mean before, there is often
confusion between the prepositions avant and devant. But there's a
big difference in the way they are used.
1. Avant expresses something to do with time.It can be used in
front of a temporal expression, noun, pronoun, verb, or clause.
avant midi before noonavant l'examen before the test avant de
partir before leaving avant que nous ne partions before we leave2.
Devant expresses position or location (figurative or literal) and
means before or in front of.It can be used only in front of a noun
or pronoun.
devant la voiture in front of the car devant les juges before
the judges devant le danger faced with / in the face of danger. Il
est devant toi. He's in front of you. 4.
Definition: Avec is the French equivalent of with. It can
express
1. Accompaniment
J'irai avec toi. I'll go with youIl est d'accord avec nous. He
agrees with us2. Cause
On oublie tout avec le tempsOne forgets everything in timeTu
m'nerves avec ce bruitYou're bothering me with this noise3.
Something in addition: avec a
et avec a ?anything else?j'ai froid et avec a j'ai faimI'm cold,
and besides that I'm hungry4. The equivalent of an adverb: avec +
noun
avec joie joyfullyavec colre angrilyExamples in French:
se fcher avec qqunto get mad at someone
se lever avec le jourto get up at the crack of dawn
se mettre en rapport avecto get in touch with
prendre des gants avec qqunto handle someone with kid
gloves5.
Definition: Chez is a great French word, English haven't a
equivalent word. It can mean any of the following:
1. at/to the house of chez mon oncle at/to my uncle's housechez
moi at/to my house, (at) home
2. at/to the office/store of chez le mdecin at/to the doctor's
officechez le boucher at/to the butcher's3. among
(une coutume) chez les Franais(a custom) among the French
4. in the work/writings of chez Molirein Molire's
work/writing
5. for/with chez lui, c'est une habitudeit's a habit with him
c'est bizarre chez un enfantit's strange for a child 6. Definition:
The French preposition dans must be followed by an article or some
other determiner, it cannot be followed directly by a noun. It
usually means in, but can indicate all of the following:
1. Physical location
dans la bote in the boxdans la rue in the streetboire dans une
tasse to drink from a cupprendre qqchose dans une bote to take s.t.
from a boxcopier qqchose dans un livre to copy s.t. from a bookdans
l'avion on the planemettre qqchose dans le tiroir put s.t. in the
drawermonter dans le train to get on the trainvoir qqun dans
l'escalier to see someone on the stairs2. Figurative location
dans la situation actuelle in the current situationdans ces
conditions in/under these conditions 3. Time (en vs dans)
dans la semaine during the weekdans la journe during the daydans
une semaine in one weekExamples in French:
dans les coulisses behind the scenes dans le doute when in doubt
tre dans le ptrin to be in a jam dans mes projets in my plans dans
le sens de la longueur lengthwise7.
Definition: De is a very important and versatile preposition
with many different meanings and uses in French. As a preposition,
it can express or indicate all of the following:
1. Possession or belonging
le livre de Carlos Carlos's bookla bibliothque de l'universit
the university library2. Starting point or origin
partir de Nice to leave from (out of) NiceJe suis de Bruxelles
I'm from Brussels 3. Contents / description of something
une tasse de th cup of teaun roman d'amour love story (story
of/about love) 4. Defining feature
le march de gros wholesale marketune salle de classe classroom
5. Cause
mourir de faim to die of / from hungerfatigu du voyage tired
from the trip 6. Means / manner of doing something
crire de la main gaucheto write with one's left handrpter de
mmoireto recite from memory8. Definition: To express the duration
of an event in French, depuis and pendant are used. Many English
speakers tend to translate for as pour, but this is rarely correct
when talking about time.
Depuis means since or for. It is used with a verb in the present
tense to talk about an action that began in the past and continues
in the present.
Depuis quand tudiez-vous le franais?How long have you studied
French?
J'tudie le franais depuis 6 ans.I've studied French for 6
years.
J'tudie le franais depuis 2000.I've studied French since
2000.Depuis can also be used to indicate an action that was
occuring (in the imparfait) when it was interrupted by another
action (in the pass compos).
Depuis quand dormais-tu quand je suis arriv ?How long had you
been sleeping when I arrived?Pendant means for, but it refers to an
action in its entirety that has no relation to the present. It can
be used for both the past and the future.
Pendant combien de temps avez-vous tudi le franais ?How long did
you study French?
J'ai tudi le franais pendant 3 ans. I studied French for 3
years.
Je vais habiter en France pendant 2 mois. I'm going to live in
France for 2 months. Pendant also means during.
J'ai vu un film pendant mon sjour. I saw a film during my
stay.
Pendant ce temps, il m'attendait. During this time, he waited
for me.9. Definition: En is nearly always used directly in front of
a noun, with no article. It can indicate all of the following:
1. Location
il est en prisonhe is in jail
j'habite en banlieuI live in the suburbs
2. Time
en aotin August
en 3 joursin three days
en semaineduring the week
3. Like or as
Je te parle en amiI'm speaking to you as a friend
Il agit en enfantHe's acting like a kid
4. Means
voyager en trainto travel by train
rentrer en taxito return by taxi
5. Condition or appearance
tre en bonne santto be in good health
tre en guerreto be at war
tre en pyjamato be in pajamas
6. Transformation
traduire en franaisto translate into French
se dguiser en ....to disguise oneself as....
transformer une salle en bureauto change a room into an
office
7. Material
un pull en lainewool sweater
une maison en boiswooden house
Definition: Pour can be followed by a noun, pronoun, or
infinitive. When it is followed by a noun or pronoun, it usually
means for. It can indicate all of the following:
1. Purpose/Intention
J'ai achet un cadeau pour toi.I bought you a gift.
Il l'a fait pour moi.He did it for me.
2. Duration of future event
Je vais y habiter pour un an.I'm going to live there for a
year.
Il parlera pour une heure.He will speak for an hour.
3. In favor of
Il est pour la peine de la mort.He is in favor of the death
penalty.
J'ai vot pour Chirac.I voted for Chirac.
4. Direction
Il est parti pour Ottawa.He left for Ottawa.
Voici le train pour Rouen.Here's the train to Rouen.
5. Point of view
Pour nous, c'est une bonne ide.For us, it's a good idea.
Il est tout pour moi.He is everything to me.
6. Cause
Je suis condamn pour vol.I was convicted of theft.
Ce magasin est ferm pour rparations.This store is closed for
repairs.
7. In place of / In exchange for
J'ai pay pour nous.I paid for us.
Il doit signer pour moi.He has to sign for me.
8. Comparison/Relationship
Un pour centOne per hundred
Il fait chaud pour l'automne.It's hot for the fall.
Definition: Sans is the French equivalent of without. It can
express Lack
Il est parti sans moi.He left without me.
Sans argent, c'est difficile.It's hard without money.
Elle est venue sans tre invite.She came uninvited.
ConditionSans mes amis, je serais triste. If it weren't for my
friends, I'd be sad.
The equivalent of an adverb: sans + noun
un homme sans abria homeless man
une femme sans prjugsan unbiased woman
Definition:
Sur usually means on:
un livre sur la tablea book on the table
sur ma routeon my way
Sur can also indicate:
Direction
tourner sur la gaucheto turn to the left
revenir sur Paristo return to Paris
Position
sur le stade, le marchat the stadium, market
sur la chausse, le boulevard, l'avenuein the road, boulevard,
avenue
il neige sur tout le Canadait's snowing all over Canada
Approximate time
arriver sur les six heuresto arrive around 3 o'clock
elle va sur ses 60 ansshe's going on 60
sur une priode d'un anover a period / the course of a year
Proportion / ratio
trois fois sur quatrethree times out of four
un enfant sur cinqone child in five
une semaine sur deuxevery other week
Subject / topic
un article sur les rosesan article on roses
une causerie sur l'galita talk on / about equality
Definition: Vers and envers both mean toward, but in difference
circumstances.
Vers means toward or around in time and space
Nous allons vers Rouen.We're going toward Rouen.
Tournez vers la droite.Turn to(ward) the right.
J'tais vers Provence.I was around (near) Provence.
Nous allons vers midi.We're going around noon.
J'y vais vers la fin de la journe.I'm going around the end of
the day.
Envers means toward in a figurative sense
Il est cruel envers ses chiens.He is cruel toward his dogs.
Son attitude envers les enfants...His attitude toward
children...
Ses penses envers l'argent...His thoughts on money...
