Essential Guide to French Place Prepositions

Contents

What are French prepositions of place?
Most common French prepositions of place
Which French prepositions of place are most commonly used?
À, à l’, au, aux
À l’
Au
Aux
De
De la
De l’
Du
Des
D’
Using French prepositions of place – Giving directions in French
Ready to use your French prepositions?
Frequently Asked Questions
What are French prepositions of place?
Why are prepositions important in French?
Can French prepositions change form based on gender or number?
What is an example of using the preposition ‘à’?
How can I improve my understanding of French prepositions?

“I am the beach.”

Without the word “at”, this sentence is very confusing (albeit intriguing in a metaphysical way).

“At” is a preposition, and prepositions play a key role in communication.

Mastering French prepositions of place is crucial for effective communication in the language. They are the building blocks that help you create meaningful sentences, enabling you to express your thoughts clearly. Without these essential words, conveying your message becomes a challenge.

French prepositions of place can be quite daunting, much like other aspects of the language. For instance, the English word “in” can be translated as “dans,” “en,” or “à,” depending on the context. But don’t worry—help is at hand!

Are you eager to learn French online and explore the fascinating world of prepositions of place? You’ve come to the right place! This handy guide will walk you through the most essential French prepositions of location, making it easy for you to enhance your language skills.

What are French prepositions of place?

Prepositions serve as vital links between different elements in a sentence. In French, these words typically appear before nouns or pronouns, illustrating the connection between them and the verb, adjective, or noun that comes before. Understanding how prepositions function is essential for grasping the nuances of French sentence structure.

French prepositions of location are essential for answering the question “Where?” They help pinpoint the position of people, places, or objects, and often illustrate how one item is situated in relation to another.

They serve not only to indicate the direction to a destination but also to help individuals orient themselves within an area and to chart a specific route.

In French, prepositions are unchanging—they don’t alter their form based on the gender or number of the nouns or pronouns they accompany. Additionally, it’s important to note that these prepositions cannot be used to end a sentence.

For example:

Elle habite à Copenhague. (She lives in Copenhagen.)

Votre veste est dans le sac. (Your jacket is in the bag.)

Qu’est-ce qu’il y a sur le canapé ? (What’s on the couch?)

Most common French prepositions of place

Discover the most frequently used French prepositions of location! It’s important to remember that the meaning of certain prepositions can vary depending on the context in which they are used.

French preposition of place	Meaning	Examples
À	To, at, in	Ils travaillent à Berlin. (They work in Berlin.)
Derrière	Behind, in the back of	Le jardin se trouve derrière le château. (The garden is behind the castle.)
Devant	In front of	Je suis devant le cinéma. Où es-tu? (I’m in front of the movie theater. Where are you?)
À côté	Next to, nearby	Le siège à côté de lui était vacant. (The seat next to him was vacant.)
À droite	To the right of	La voiture venait de la droite. (The car came from the right.)
À gauche	To the left of	Les plaques se trouvent en haut à gauche de l’armoire. (The plates are on the top left of the cabinet.)
Au-dessous (de)	Below	Cette partie du pays se trouve au-dessous du niveau de la mer. (This part of the country is below sea level.)
Au-dessus (de)	Above	C’est sur l’étagère juste au-dessus de votre tête. (It’s on the shelf just above your head.)
À travers	Through	J’ai appris beaucoup de choses sur la culture japonaise à travers la cuisine du pays. (I have learnt a lot of things about Japanese culture through the country’s cuisine.)
Chez	At someone’s (place)	Je suis chez ma soeur. (I’m at my sister’s.)
Dans À l’intérieur (de)	In, inside of	Je suis dans le tram. Retrouvez-moi à la station dans 10 minutes ! (I’m inside the tram. Meet me at the station in 10 minutes!)
Dehors / en dehors (de) / If you want to explore more about this topic, don’t miss our article The World's Most Stressful Tourist Destinations Revealed. à l’extérieur (de)	Outside (of something)	Dehors, l’air est beaucoup plus frais. (Outside, the air is much fresher.) Je suis à l’extérieur du restaurant. Où es-tu ? (I’m outside the restaurant. Where are you?)
En face	Facing (opposite something)	L’hôpital est en face du bureau du maire. (The hospital is opposite the mayor’s office.)
Entre	Between	Son appartement se trouve entre deux boîtes de nuit. (His apartment is in between two nightclubs.)
Loin de	Far from	L’hôtel est très loin de la plage. (The hotel is very far from the beach.)
Près de	Near to	Ils ont vécu près l’un de l’autre pendant des années avant de déménager. (They lived near each other for years before moving.)
Sous	Under	J’ai trouvé mes clés de voiture sous le canapé. (I found my car keys underneath the couch.)
Sur	On	Le bois flotte sur l’eau. (Wood floats on water.)
Vers	Towards, around	Je marche vers le musée. (I’m walking towards the museum.)

Which French prepositions of place are most commonly used?

Without a doubt, the French prepositions of place “à” and “de,” along with their variations such as “à l’,” “au,” “aux,” and “des,” are among the most frequently used in the language.

Here’s how you can use them:

À, à l’, au, aux

The preposition “À” plays a crucial role in the French language, translating to “to,” “in,” or “at.” Variations like “À l’,” “au,” and “aux” are different forms derived from “à,” each serving specific grammatical purposes.

À l’

When using the preposition “à” before masculine and feminine nouns that start with a vowel or a silent “h,” it contracts to “à l’.” This rule helps to create a smoother, more fluid connection in speech and writing.

Au

“Au” is used when the noun is in the masculine singular and doesn’t begin with a silent “h”.

Aux

“Aux” is used with plural nouns (both masculine and feminine) not beginning with a silent “h”.

Here are some examples:

à + la	à la	On va se retrouver à la bibliothèque. (We’re going to meet at the library.)
à + l’	à l’	Il travaille à l’hôpital. (He works at the hospital.)
à + le	au	Ils vont au concert. (They are going to the concert.)
à + les	aux	Elle adore aller aux lacs. (She loves going to the lakes.)

De

“De” means “from” or “of” and is a very common French preposition of place.

De can be used to talk about where you’re coming from (both in terms of movement/travel and your heritage).

Like the pronoun “à”, “de” has several permutations (de l’, du, d’, des).

De la

“De la” is used when the noun is in the feminine singular and doesn’t begin with a silent “h”.

De l’

When using the preposition “de” with masculine and feminine nouns that start with a vowel or a silent “h,” it combines with the article to form “de l’.” This contraction simplifies pronunciation and enhances the flow of speech.

Du

“Du” is used when the noun is in the masculine singular and doesn’t begin with a silent “h”.

Des

“Des” is used with plural nouns (both masculine and feminine) not beginning with a silent “h”.

D’

“D’” is used in front of a word starting with a vowel and most nouns starting with “h”.

Here are some examples:

de + la	de la	Ils reviennent de la bibliothèque dans une heure. (They are coming back from the library in an hour.) If you want to continue your knowledge quest, you can proceed with our article Holiday Greetings That Every True Canadian Loves.
de + l’	de l’	Il revient de l’hôpital dans 10 jours.(He’s returning from the hospital in 10 days.)
de + le	du	Elle vient du Sénégal. (She’s from Senegal.)
de + les	des	Nous sommes revenus des Bahamas. (We came back from the Bahamas.)
De + vowel	d’	Je rentre d’Autriche lundi. (I’m coming back from Austria on Monday.)

Using French prepositions of place – Giving directions in French

Enhancing your understanding of French prepositions of location can be both fun and effective when practiced within context. Begin by familiarizing yourself with some essential French vocabulary and dive into this engaging dialogue:

As Tina and Rory navigate through a charming village in Spain, they’re on a mission to locate their Airbnb. With the host’s directions in hand, Tina is focused on guiding them to their cozy getaway.

Tina

Pour atteindre notre destination, commençons par avancer tout droit. Ensuite, au carrefour où se trouve une église, tournez à droite. Poursuivez votre route tout droit jusqu’à repérer une maison verte située à côté d’une école.

To reach our destination, we should head straight ahead and then take a right at the crossroads marked by a church. After that, continue driving straight until you spot a green house next to a school.

Rory

— Ok… Ok, je vois le carrefour.

— Ok… I see the crossroads.

Tina

D’accord, continuons tout droit pendant environ cinq minutes. Regarde, voici la maison verte juste à côté de l’école ! À présent, nous devons tourner à gauche et poursuivre notre chemin vers la forêt.

Alright, we’ve been driving straight for about five minutes. Just ahead, you can see the green house beside the school! We need to take a left turn now and continue heading towards the forest.

Rory

— Pendant combien de temps devons-nous continuer à rouler vers la forêt ? Ah, regarde ! Le soleil se couche sous l’horizon.

— How long do we have to keep driving towards the forest? Ah, look! The sun is setting below the horizon.

Tina

Je suis passionné par les couchers de soleil, leur beauté est tout simplement captivante ! Lorsque je vivais au Portugal, je me rendais à la plage chaque jour pour les admirer. Nous devons encore conduire pendant 10 minutes. Ensuite, nous passerons devant une grande ferme, et juste entre deux imposants arbres, il y aura un panneau indiquant “Chez Maria”. Regarde là-bas, penses-tu que c’est celui-là ?

Sunsets have always captivated me with their stunning beauty! During my time in Portugal, I made it a daily ritual to visit the beach just to soak in the breathtaking views. We need to drive for another 10 minutes, and soon we’ll pass a large farm. Keep an eye out for a sign nestled between two towering trees that reads “At Maria’s.” Do you think that could be the place?

Rory

— Je pense que c’est ça ! On traverse la ferme en voiture ? Qu’est-ce qu’on fait ?

— I think that’s it! Should we drive through the farm? What do we do?

Tina

— Oui, faisons ça. Ah oui, on y est !

— Yes, let’s do that. Ah yes, we’re here!

Ready to use your French prepositions?

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In conclusion, recent studies in memory and language acquisition consistently highlight one key insight: actively speaking the language is essential for effective learning!

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