French Prepositions

Prepositions in French are small but crucial words that help connect elements of a sentence, indicating relationships of place, time, direction, and other abstract connections. These words are vital for forming coherent and logically connected sentences. In French, prepositions often pose challenges due to their usage depending on the context and their sometimes irregular relationships with the nouns and pronouns they accompany.

Learning the proper use of French prepositions is key to mastering the language's structure and fluency. Common prepositions include 'à' (to, at, in), 'de' (from, of), 'avec' (with), 'sans' (without), and 'pour' (for), among others. Each of these can have different meanings based on their usage in a sentence.

Here's a practical example:

Elle va à l'école avec son frère.

In the sentence "Elle va à l'école avec son frère," the preposition 'à' is used to indicate the destination (to school), and 'avec' is used to indicate accompaniment (with her brother). This illustrates how prepositions are used to connect the subject to other elements of the sentence, showing both direction and relationship.

Another example is "Je suis à la maison." which means "I am at home."

In the above example, the preposition 'à' is used to indicate the location (at home), showing the relationship between the subject and the place.

Preposition	Meaning	Example Usage
à	to, at, in	Je suis à la maison. (I am at home.)
de	from, of	Il vient de France. (He comes from France.)
avec	with	Elle parle avec son ami. (She speaks with her friend.)
sans	without	Il travaille sans aide. (He works without help.)
pour	for	C'est un cadeau pour toi. (It's a gift for you.)
en	in, by	En été, il fait chaud. (In summer, it is hot.)
sur	on	Le livre est sur la table. (The book is on the table.)
sous	under	Le chat est sous la table. (The cat is under the table.)
devant	in front of	Il attend devant l'école. (He waits in front of the school.)
derrière	behind	La voiture est derrière le bâtiment. (The car is behind the building.)
entre	between	La banque est entre le café et la bibliothèque. (The bank is between the café and the library.)
parmi	among	Elle marche parmi les fleurs. (She walks among the flowers.)
pendant	during	Il dort pendant la classe. (He sleeps during the class.)
contre	against	Il se bat contre l'injustice. (He fights against injustice.)
vers	towards	Il marche vers la gare. (He walks towards the station.)