Prepositions and places
à, en, au, chez, and countries and cities.
Cities and countries
"In" and "to" a place are the same word in French. Which word depends on the place.
| Place | In, to | From | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| cities | à | de | à Paris, de Paris; d'Ottawa |
| feminine countries | en | de | en France, de France |
| countries starting with a vowel | en | d' | en Italie, en Iran, d'Iran |
| masculine countries | au | du | au Canada, au Japon, du Canada |
| plural countries | aux | des | aux États-Unis, des États-Unis |
Most countries ending in -e are feminine: la France, l'Italie, la Chine. A few aren't: le Mexique, le Cambodge, so au Mexique.
At someone's place
chez means "at" or "to" someone's home or shop: chez moi "at my place, home", chez Paul, chez le médecin "at the doctor's".
Common prepositions
| Preposition | Meaning |
|---|---|
| dans | in, inside |
| sur, sous | on, under |
| devant, derrière | in front of, behind |
| entre | between |
| avec, sans | with, without |
| pour | for, in order to |
| à côté de | next to |
| près de, loin de | near, far from |
| en face de | opposite |
de in these joins with le and les: près du parc, en face des magasins.
à la maison is "at home"; dans la maison is "inside the house". à also gives the place of an activity: à l'école, à la plage, au travail.
Getting around
You go en a vehicle you sit inside (en voiture, en train, en avion, en bus), but à pied "on foot" and à vélo "by bike".
Cards from this guide
8 cardsEach card asks about one thing this guide teaches, and its back gives the answer with why and an example. They're reviewed with the rest of the Sentences cards.
How do you say "in Paris" or "to Paris"?
à Paris.
How do you say "in France"?
en France.
How do you say "in Canada"?
au Canada.
What does chez mean?
"At" or "to" someone's place.
How do you say "by car" and "on foot"?
en voiture and à pied.
How do you say "I'm from the United States"?
Je viens des États-Unis.
What's the difference between à la maison and dans la maison?
à la maison is "at home"; dans la maison is "inside the house".
How do you say "opposite the cinema"?
en face du cinéma.