French prepositions are short words that connect elements of the sentence and help make sense. Like conjunctions, they are invariable. However, they are one of the common sources of mistakes made by French learners. There are many prepositions in the French language. Among them, are the prepositions of place, that you will be learning today.
Keep reading to learn more and practice with our quiz.
Simple prepositions of place
Prepositions of place, called Les prépositions de lieu en français, are used to locate someone or something, sometimes in relation to another person or thing.
Below is a list of the common prepositions used for the location with their English translation and examples of sentences.
French preposition | English preposition | Example of sentence |
Sur | On | Le fauteuil est sur le tapis. |
Sous | Under | Le tapis est sous le fauteuil |
Devant | In front | Le chien est devant le chat. |
Derrière | Behind | Le chat est derrière le chien. |
Dans | In | L'armoire est dans la chambre. |
En | In | Elle est en France. |
Entre | Between | Le supermarché est entre le café et la poste |
Contre | Against | Le tableau est contre le mur. |
Vers | Toward | Va vers la station de métro. |
De | from | Ils sont de Paris. |
The preposition en is generally used with countries with the feminine gender. J'habite en Espagne - en France, en Italie, ...
Note that these prepositions can sometimes have different meanings. It all depends on the context.
For instance, the preposition à can also indicate:
the possession: C'est à vous ce vélo? Is it yours this bicycle?
the time : C'est à quelle heure? At what time is it?
the contenant : un verre à vin => A wine glass
the price: C''est à 10 euros.
The preposition de can also convey the following meanings:
the provenance/origin: Il vient du Maroc. => He comes from Morocco.