French Prepositions: A Comprehensive Guide

In French, prepositions are used to link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other elements in a sentence. Want to know when, where, or how something happened? This kind of information is usually provided with the help of prepositions.

Like in English, French prepositions typically precede a noun or pronoun.

Common French Prepositions

Some frequently used French prepositions include:

These prepositions allow you to talk about your favorite location, the time you have to be somewhere, and various relationships between different parts of a sentence.

Why Mastering French Prepositions is Important

Understanding and correctly using prepositions lets you construct meaningful sentences in French. They provide details like location, time, direction, and even emotional connections. Here are some examples:

• Le cadeau est pour toi. (The gift is for you.) → Without the preposition “pour,” it would be impossible to express who the gift is meant for.
• Je viens de Paris. (I am from Paris.) → Here, “de” shows the origin or starting point.
• Nous habitons en France. (We live in France.) → “En” is used to indicate location within a country.

Key Categories of French Prepositions

Let’s take a look at the different types of prepositions.

1. Prepositions of Place

These prepositions specify a location or a spatial relationship.

French Preposition	Example Sentence	EN Translation
à at, in	Je suis à la maison.	I am at home.
en in	Elle est en France.	She is in France.
dans in, inside	Il est dans la voiture.	He is in the car.
sur on, upon	Le livre est sur la table.	The book is on the table.
sous under	Le chat est sous la chaise.	The cat is under the chair.
entre between	Le magasin est entre les deux rues.	The store is between two streets.
devant in front of	Elle est devant la maison.	She is in front of the house.
derrière behind	Il est derrière la porte.	He is behind the door.

2. Prepositions of Time

These prepositions specify when something happens.

French Preposition	Example Sentence	EN Translation
à at	Nous avons rendez-vous à midi.	We have a meeting at noon.
en in, during	Il fait froid en hiver.	It’s cold in winter.
depuis since	Elle vit ici depuis 2010.	She has lived here since 2010.
pendant during	Elle dort pendant le voyage.	She sleeps during the trip.
vers around	Il arrivera vers 15h.	He will arrive around 3 pm.
avant before	Je pars avant le lever du soleil.	I leave before sunrise.
après after	Il part après le dîner.	He leaves after dinner.

3. Prepositions of Direction

These prepositions indicate movement towards or away from a location.

French Preposition	EN	Example Sentence	EN Translation
à	to	Elle va à Paris.	She is going to Paris.
de	from	Je viens de la gare.	I am coming from the station.
vers	toward	Il se dirige vers la sortie.	He is heading toward the exit.
jusqu’à	up to	Marchez jusqu’à la plage.	Walk up to the beach.
par	by, through	Nous passons par la forêt.	We go through the forest.

4. Prepositions of Manner and Reason

These prepositions explain how something is done or why.

French Preposition	Meaning	Example Sentence	Translation
avec	with	Elle écrit avec un stylo.	She is writing with a pen.
sans	without	Il part sans moi.	He is leaving without me.
pour	in order to, for	Je viens pour t’aider à préparer ton examen.	I am coming (in order) to help you prepare your exam.
grâce à	thanks to	Elle réussit grâce à ses efforts.	She succeeds, thanks to her efforts.
à cause de	because of	Je suis en retard à cause du trafic.	I am late because of the traffic.

Common Mistakes with French Prepositions

1. Verbs with Prepositions

Many French verbs use specific prepositions to add meaning and connect with their objects. Learning these common verb-preposition pairs is important for expressing yourself clearly. Here are some examples.

Verb + Preposition	Example Sentence	Translation
penser à to think about	Je pense à toi.	I am thinking about you.
penser de to have an opinion about	Que penses-tu de ce film?	What do you think about this movie?
s’intéresser à to be interested in	Elle s’intéresse à l’art.	She is interested in art.
parler de to talk about	Nous parlons de notre voyage.	We are talking about our trip.
parler à to speak to	Je parle à mon professeur.	I am speaking to my teacher.
répondre à to answer	Il répond à sa mère.	He is responding to his mother.
se souvenir de to remember	Je me souviens de cette chanson.	I remember that song.
avoir besoin de to need	J’ai besoin de ton aide.	I need your help.
faire attention à to pay attention to / to take care of / to be careful with	Faites attention aux détails.	Pay attention to the details.
dépendre de to depend on	Cela dépend de la météo.	It depends on the weather.
s’habituer à to get used to	Je m’habitue à ma nouvelle école.	I am getting used to my new school.
renoncer à to give up on	Il renonce à son projet.	He is giving up on his project.
jouer du, de la, de l’ to play (an instrument)	Elle joue de la guitare.	She plays the guitar.
jouer à, à la, au, aux, à l’ to play (a sport/game)	Vous jouez à cache-cache. On joue à la marelle. Ils jouent au football.	You’re playing hide and seek. We’re playing hopscotch. They play soccer.
avoir envie de to feel like/want to	J’ai envie de voyager.	I feel like traveling.
se moquer de to make fun of	Ils se moquent de lui.	They are making fun of him.

2. Confusing à and en for Locations

• à is used for cities and some small locations: Je vais à Paris/Berlin/Rome/Barcelone. (I’m going to Paris/Berlin/Rome/Barcelona).
• en is generally used for countries, especially feminine ones: Je vais en France/Espagne/Angleterre/Allemagne. (I’m going to France/Spain/England/Germany).

3. Forgetting Contractions

In French, some prepositions combine with articles. Here’s a table of all the common contractions with à and de:

Contraction	Meaning	Example	Translation
au à + le	to the / at the (masculine singular)	Elle est au cinéma.	She is at the cinema.
aux à + les	to the / at the (plural)	Ils vont aux toilettes.	They are going to the bathroom.
du de + le	of the / from the (masculine singular)	Elle vient du bureau.	She is coming from the office.
des de + les	of the / from the (plural)	Je range les jouets des enfants. Voici un souvenir des États-Unis.	I am putting away the children’s toys. Here’s a souvenir from the USA.

Notes

• au and du: Used for singular masculine nouns.
• aux and des: Used for plural nouns of any gender.

Key Takeaway

Remember that these contractions are obligatory when using à or de with le or les. You should not separate the words in writing or speech, as it would be grammatically incorrect in French.

Tips for Practicing French Prepositions

1. Practice with Location Descriptions: Describe familiar places, like your home or neighborhood, using prepositions of place.
2. Time Phrases Practice: Make sentences about your daily schedule to reinforce prepositions of time.
3. Practice Verb-Preposition pairings: Building fluency with verb-preposition pairings is key to sounding natural in French. Try making your own sentences with each verb-preposition pair. Soon, you’ll instinctively know which preposition to use!