Prepositions are small words that show the relationship between other words, often indicating direction, location, time, or cause. Here are some of the most common French prepositions, along with their meanings and example sentences.
à (to, at, in)
The preposition à is used to indicate direction, location, or time. It can mean "to," "at," or "in" depending on the context.
- Elle va à l'école. (She is going to school.)
- Je suis à la maison. (I am at home.)
- Le cours est à 10 heures. (The class is at 10 o'clock.)
de (of, from, about)
The preposition de expresses origin, possession, or the subject of something. It can mean "of," "from," or "about."
- Je viens de France. (I come from France.)
- Le livre de Marie. (Marie's book / The book of Marie.)
- Parle-moi de ton voyage. (Tell me about your trip.)
dans (in, inside)
The preposition dans is used to indicate that something is inside or within a place or a certain amount of time.
- Le chat est dans la boîte. (The cat is in the box.)
- Nous partirons dans une heure. (We will leave in an hour.)
sur (on, about)
The preposition sur means "on" when referring to position. It can also mean "about" when talking about a subject.
- Le livre est sur la table. (The book is on the table.)
- Un documentaire sur les animaux. (A documentary about animals.)
avec (with)
The preposition avec means "with" and indicates accompaniment or the means by which something is done.
- Je pars avec mes amis. (I am leaving with my friends.)
- Écris avec un stylo. (Write with a pen.)
Complete the sentence: Je pars ___ mes amis. (I am leaving with my friends.)
avec
'Avec' means 'with,' indicating accompaniment. 'Sans' means 'without,' 'chez' refers to someone's home, and 'pour' means 'for,' none of which fit here.
pour (for, in order to)
The preposition pour indicates purpose, destination, or beneficiary. It means "for" or "in order to."
- Ce cadeau est pour toi. (This gift is for you.)
- Je travaille pour réussir. (I work in order to succeed.)
en (in, by)
The preposition en can indicate location, time duration, or means of transportation. It often translates to "in" or "by."
- Je suis en France. (I am in France.)
- Il a fini le travail en deux heures. (He finished the work in two hours.)
- Elle voyage en train. (She travels by train.)
Complete the sentence: Elle voyage ___ train. (She travels by train.)
en
'En' is used to indicate means of transportation for trains, cars, etc. 'À' is used with bikes or motorcycles, 'avec' means 'with,' and 'par' is less common in this context.
chez (at the home of, among)
The preposition chez is used to indicate someone's home or a place where someone works. It can mean "at the home of" or "among."
- Je vais chez Paul. (I am going to Paul's house.)
- Elle travaille chez Renault. (She works at Renault.)
Choose the correct French sentence using 'chez' for a workplace.
Elle travaille chez Renault.
'Chez' indicates working at a specific company’s location. While 'à,' 'dans,' and 'pour' can also be used with company names, 'chez' specifically emphasizes the workplace setting.
avant (before)
The preposition avant means "before" in terms of time.
- Termine tes devoirs avant le dîner. (Finish your homework before dinner.)
- Nous sommes partis avant midi. (We left before noon.)
après (after)
The preposition après means "after" in terms of time.
- On sort après le film. (We’re going out after the movie.)
- Elle a téléphoné après le repas. (She called after the meal.)
Last updated: Wed Jun 18, 2025
