Prepositions in French

Prepositions are small words that link nouns, pronouns, or phrases to other parts of a sentence. In French, they are essential for indicating location, direction, time, cause, manner, and many other relationships. This page gives a concise overview of the most frequently used French prepositions, their typical uses, and handy tips for avoiding common mistakes.

Basic Concepts

• Position: In French, the preposition normally precedes its complement (the word or phrase it governs).
• Articles and Articles Contracts: The preposition or de often contracts with the definite articles le, la, les (e.g., au, aux, du, des).
• Pronouns: When a preposition is followed by a direct or indirect object pronoun, the pronoun follows the preposition without any article (e.g., lui, de moi).
• Verb + Preposition: Some French verbs require a specific preposition to introduce their complement (e.g., penser , parler de).

Common French Prepositions

Preposition	Typical English Equivalent	Example (French)	Translation (English)
	to / at / in	Je vais Paris.	Im going to Paris.
de	of / from / about	Le livre de Marie.	Marie's book.
dans	in / inside (time & space)	Il habite dans une maison.	He lives in a house.
en	in (months, years, materials); by (transport)	Nous partons en juillet.	We leave in July.
sur	on / over	Le chat est sur le toit.	The cat is on the roof.
sous	under	Le stylo est sous la table.	The pen is under the table.
chez	at the home of, at the place of	Je dne chez Paul.	Im having dinner at Pauls.
pour	for, in order to	Cest un cadeau pour toi.	Its a gift for you.
par	by (means), through	Envoy par courrier.	Sent by mail.
avec	with	Je viens avec mon ami.	Im coming with my friend.
sans	without	Un caf sans sucre.	A coffee without sugar.
entre	between	Le parc est entre la rivire et la colline.	The park is between the river and the hill.
vers	toward	Il marche vers la porte.	He walks toward the door.

Key Rules & Tips

1. Contracted Forms

When or de meets the singular masculine article le, they contract:

• le au (e.g., au magasin)
• de le du (e.g., du pain)

With the plural article les, both become aux and des respectively.

2. En vs. Dans for Time

Use en with months, years, seasons, and long periods (en 2025, en juin, en t). Use dans for a precise future interval (dans trois jours).

3. vs. Chez

is used for cities, countries (without article), and general locations ( Lyon, la campagne). Chez indicates a persons home or a professional setting (chez le mdecin).

4. Verbs that Require Specific Prepositions

Verb	Preposition	Example
penser		Je pense toi.
parler	de	Nous parlons de ton projet.
sintresser		Ils sintressent la musique.
avoir besoin	de	Jai besoin de sommeil.
compter	sur	Tu peux compter sur moi.

5. Prepositions with Pronouns

When a pronoun follows a preposition, it never takes an article:

• Je parle lui Je lui parle (indirect object pronoun)
• Le livre de elle son livre or le livre delle (possessive)

6. Par vs. Pour (Purpose vs. Means)

• Par expresses the means of an action: envoyer par avion (by plane).
• Pour indicates purpose or benefit: un cadeau pour toi (for you).

Practice Section

Fill in the blanks with the correct preposition.

1. Je vais ___ (to) la bibliothque.
2. Le chat dort ___ (on) le coussin.
3. Nous partons ___ (in) deux semaines.
4. Elle rve ___ (about) Paris.
5. Il travaille ___ (for) une entreprise internationale.

Answers:

2. sur
3. dans
4. de
5. pour

Quick Reference Cheat Sheet

• direction, location (city, point), time at.
• de origin, possession, cause, of/from.
• dans inside, in (specific place or time interval).
• en in (months, years, materials), by (transport).
• sur / sous on / under.
• chez at someones home or professional place.
• pour purpose, benefit, for.
• par means, by.
• avec / sans with / without.
• entre / parmi between / among.
• vers toward, approximate direction.

Mastering French prepositions takes practice, but remembering the most common ones and the patterns above will give you a solid foundation for everyday conversation and writing.