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The 100 Most Common French Prepositions

French prepositions are the little invariable grammatical words that connect two words (or groups of words) to create a logical connection.

This article will cover all your major concerns on the French prepositions so that you can start using them in your everyday life ASAP.

First, let me provide you with the

French prepositions list

On this French preposition list, you will find the most common ones.

	French Prepositions	English Meanings
1	de	of / from
2	des,	some
3	à	To
4	dans,	in,
5	pour,	for,
6	par,	by,
7	avec,	with,
8	contre,	against, vs,
9	vers,	towards,
10	en,	in,
11	avant,	before,
12	après,	after,
13	sans,	without,
14	sous	under
15	chez,	at the house of,
16	concernant,	regarding,
17	quant à	as for
18	depuis,	since,
19	jusque	until
20	devant,	before,
21	derrière,	behind,
22	par,	by,
23	Malgré	Despite
24	outre,	besides,
25	envers,	towards,
26	durant	during
27	selon	according to
28	parmi	among
29	nonobstant,	notwithstanding,
30	en dépit de	despite
31	entre	Between
32	pour,	for,
33	sauf,	except,
34	au moyen de	by means of
35	pendant,	during,
36	sans,	without,
37	vers	towards
38	sous,	under,
39	sur	on
40	suivant,	next,
41	à cause de,	because of,
42	à la merci de,	at the mercy of,
43	à côté de	to the side of,
44	afin de,	in order to,
45	au-dehors de	outside,
46	à l’intérieur	inside
47	à défaut de ,	in the absence of,
48	à force de,	by dint of,
49	à l’instar de,	like,
50	au lieu de,	instead of,
51	en deçà de,	under,
52	à la faveur de,	in the favor of,
53	à I ‘encontre de,	against,
54	à l’exception de,	with the exception of,
55	à l’insu de,	unbeknownst to,
56	vers	towards
57	avant,	before,
58	à travers,	through,
59	avec,	with,
60	en bas de,	below,
61	par ricochet	indirectly
62	au-dessus de,	above,
63	environ / aux environs de,	around
64	de manière à,	in such a way that,
65	de façon à	so that
66	entre,	between, among,
67	en outre	in addition
68	hors de,	out of,
69	au-dessous de,	above
70	surtout	especially
71	près de,	near,
72	au prix de,	at the price of,
73	aux alentours de,	around,
74	autour de	around
75	loin de,	far from,
76	par rapport à ,	compared to ,
77	en faveur de,	in favor of,
78	de peur que,	for fear that
79	du côté de	by the side of
80	en dehors de,	apart from,
81	en face de,	in front of,
82	en guise de,	as a,
83	par suite de,	as a result of,
84	proche de,	close to,
85	quitte à,	At the risk of
86	vis-à-vis de…	with respect to…
87	à moins que,	unless,
88	au fait,	by the way,
89	de sorte que,	so that,
90	A condition que,	On condition that,
91	Pour que	So that
92	Dès-que	As soon as
93	en fait,	in fact,
94	de plus	in addition
95	De surcroit	In addition
96	entre autres,	among others,
97	en plus	in addition,
98	en tout cas	anyway, in any case
99	en	in,
100	d’après	According to

If you want to learn more about prepositions, click here.

In case you are wondering,

What Are French prepositions for countries

Before using French prepositions for countries, you need to know the country’s gender (masculine / feminine) and sometimes number (Singular or plural). There are 3 French prepositions for countries you need to know: The << en >>, the << au >> and the << aux >>.

So, let’s talk about the

The << En > Preposition For Feminin Countries

Syntax: EN + Feminin Country / Continent

Ex : Elle habite en Allemagne. = She lives in Germany

Il voyage en Grèce et en Pologne. = He travels to Greece and Poland.

Elle travaille en France. = she works in France.

Nous allons en Asie. = We are going/go to Asia.

The << au>> Prepositions For Masculine Countries

You can use << au >> in front of countries that accept << Le >> and << Un >> as articles. These countries are generally those that are not ended with << e >> like le Nigeria, le Togo, le Japon, etc.

Here is the,

Syntax: au + Masculine country

Ex : Je suis au Danemark = I am in Danemark

Je vais au Mexique = I am going to Mexico

Il est basé au Togo = He is based in Togo

Nous

The << Aux >> Preposition For Countries With Plural Names

You use the << aux >> prepositions for countries with plural names like Les Etats Unis d’Amérique, Les Pays Bas, les Seychelles, les Emirats Arabes Unis, les Emirats Arabes Unis, les Philippines, les îles Féroé etc

Ex: J’habite aux Etat Unis = I live in the US

Remi travaille aux Seychelles

Papa va aux Emirats Arabes Unis

The << De >> Prepositions means from

<< De >> means from and we use it to express the origin of something.

Ex: L’avion viens de Berlin. = The plane is coming from Berlin

Mes amis sont de Paris = My friends are from Paris

I know what you are thinking,

What Are The Prepositions Of Place In French

Prepositions of place in French include à, au, du, de, dans, sur etc. The prepositions à and de are probably the most commons in French.

The << à >> preposition means in, at, to etc.

We use the << à >> preposition of place in French in front of a city, town, or a state under a federal republic.

Ex: J’habite à New York = I live in New York

Ma fille travaille à Paris = My daughter works in Paris. For you to use the << à >> preposition in front of a particular place in a town, the location’s gender must be feminine like La Poste, La Pharmacie, etc

Ex: Je suis à la poste = I am at the post office.

Je vais à la pharmacie = I am going to the Pharmacy

The << De >> Prepositions becomes

Du when it refers to a location in a city that is masculine.

Ex: Je viens du restaurant = I am coming from the restaurant (because restaurant is masculine)

de la when it refers to a location in a city that is feminine

Ex: Je viens de la pharmacie = I am coming from the pharmacies

De L’ when it refers to a place with a vowel initial

Ex: Je viens de l’église = I am coming from church

The << Dans >> Preposition

We use << Dans >> to say that something / someone is inside a place

Syntax: Dans + Article + Place

Ex: Je suis dans le salon = I am in the sitting room

Issiak est dans la chambre = Issiak is in the room

Paul est dans le supermarché = Paul is in the supermarket

The << Sur >> preposition

We use Sur to say that something or someone is on top of or on the surface of

Syntax: sur + article + Place

Ex: J’ai mis le manteau sur la chaise = I put the jacket on the chair

Je pose le roman sur l’étagère = I put the novel on the shelves

The << Chez >> prepositions

We use the Chez french preposition to say that someone/something is at someone else’ house

Syntax = chez + A noun / name

Ex : Je suis chez Jean = I am at John’s place

Paul est chez ses amis = Paul is at his friend’s place

Nous sommes chez nous = We are at home

Contre Prepositions to say against

Syntax = contre + article + noun

Ex: J’ai placé le lit contre le mur = I placed the bed against the wall

Conclusion

To master the French prepositions well, you need to know their meanings in Englishand practice them over and over again.

French Verbs Conjugation For Beginners: The 1st 6 Verbs You Need

In this French Verbs Conjugation For Beginners, you are going to learn the first most important 6 verbs that enable you to respond well to greeting, introduce someone, talk about where you live, and your likes and dislikes.

Without further ado, let’s find out,

The 6 French Verbs Conjugation For Beginners

The six verbs you are supposed to learn to make your greeting and basic exchanges easier in French are the following:

Aller = to go
S’appeler = to call oneself
Avoir = To have
Etre = To be
Aimer = To like
Habiter = To Live

So,

Let’s work on the verbs 1 by 1

Verbe Aller Au Présent Simple = To Go In The Simple Present Tense

Je vais >>> as an answer to “comment allez-vous?= how are you doing?”

Tu vas? >>> Comment tu vas? = How are you doing / going? (informal)

Il ou elle va >>>

Nous allons

Vous allez

Ils où elles vont

Note: We use the verb ALLER = to go which is a semi-auxiliary, to say how we are doing in fine. “je vais bien” means I am doing well.

S’Appeler Au Présent Simple = To Call Oneself In The Simple Present Tense

Je m’appelle = My name is …

Tu t’appelles >>>>> EX: Q: Tu t’appelles comment? B: Je m’appelle Reena, et toi?

Il ou elle s’appelle >>> elle s’appelle Reena = Her name is Reena

Nous nous appelons >>> Our name is “Gospel Winner” >> a group that bears a particular name for instance.

Vous vous appelez >>>>> EX: Q: Vous vous appelez comment? A: Je m’appelle Issiak, et vous?

Ils / elles s’appellent = their name is …..

Takeaways: The most important thing here is to know that S’APPELER is a pronominal verb. We do not translate by I CALL MYSELF buy MY NAME IS.

Avoir Au Présent Simple = To Have In The Simple Present Tense

J’ai = I have >>> J’ai 10 ans = I am 10 years old / J’ai faim = I am hungry

Tu as = You have >>>>> Tu as quel âge? = How old are you?

Il / elle a = He / she has >>>> Elle a quel âge? = How old is she?

Nous avons = We have >>> Nous avons 20 ans = We are twenty years old.

Vous avez = You have (formal / plenty people)>>>> Vous avez quel âge? = How old are you

Ils ont = They have >>> Ils ont 20 ans = They are 20 years old.

Takeaways: We use to have to say our age. We also use it to say that we are hungry.

Etre Au Présent Simple = To Be In The Simple Present Tense

Je suis = I am >>> Je suis comptable = I am an accountant

Tu es = You are >> Tu es de quel pays? = Which country are you from?

Il / elle est = He / she is >>> Elle est géologue = She is a geologist

Nous sommes = we are >> Nous sommes béninois = We are benineses.

Vous êtes = You are ( Formal) >> Vous êtes Nigérian? = Are you a Nigerian?

Ils / elles sont = They are >>> They are Administrators = Ils sont des administrateurs.

Takeaways: We use ETRE to say our profession and nationality without using the A article.

Habiter Au Présent Simple = To Live In The Simple Present Tense

J’habite = I live >>J’habite en France = I live in France

Tu habites = You live >>> Tu habites où? (informal)= Where do you live?

il ou elle habite = He / she lives >>> He lives in Quebec = Il habite à Quebec

nous habitons = We live >>> Nous habitons à Lagos= We live in Lagos

vous habitez? = You live (formal) >> Vous habitez où? = Where do you live?

ils ou elles habitent = They live >> Where do they live? = Ils habitent où?

Takeaways: When you are saying where you live in French the major issue you may encounter is places prepositions.

Aimer Au Présent Simple = To Like In The Simple Present Tense

J’aime = I like >> J’aime travailler dur = I like working hard

Tu aimes = You like >> Tu n’aimes pas le riz = You don’t like rice?

Il ou elle aime = He / she likes >>> Elle aime travailler dur.

Nous aimons = we like >>> We like food = J’aime la nourriture.

Vous aimez = You like (formal) >> Vous aimez les plats africains? = Do you like African dishes?

Ils ou elles aiment = They like >>> They like our dance styles = Ils aiment nos styles de danse

Takeaways: We use AIMER to say our likes and dislikes.

Conclusion

Now that you have gone through the 6 French verbs conjugation for beginners, all you have to do is to start practicing them to improve your speaking abilities.

Good Evening In French

In case you want to learn how to say good evening in French, Not only will this post help you to learn how they say it in France, But also in the French-speaking parts of Africa.

So,

What is Good Evening in French?

Good evening in French is Bonsoir. Click the MP3 below to listen and practice how to say good evening in French several times.

In case you are wondering,

When Do We Say Good Evening In France?

We greet in France by saying Bonsoir which means good evening after 5 p.m. or 6 p.m. in the winter, 7 p.m., and 8 p.m. or up to 10 pm in the summer.

How do we say good evening in France?

The word remains the same Bonsoir (Bonn Swar) while the manner depends on the setting in which you find yourself. In a formal setting, we used to greet by shaking hands. You definitely don’t want to do that during this Coronavirus time. Therefore keep the social distance and greet by saying Bonsoir with a nice smile.

Good Afternoon And Good Evening In Africa

In French-speaking African countries when it is 1 mn after 12 PM people greet by saying Bonsoir. Yes, it is their way to say that they are in the afternoon that businesses will be on break and they will resume in 1 or 2 hrs time. They also great by saying the same Bonsoir to someone they are meeting in the evening as well to say the night has fallen.

What Are The Other Ways Of Greetings

Bonjour = Good morning

Bonsoir = Good afternoon / good evening

Salut ! = Hi !

Coucou! = Hey!

Allô!= Hello ( On phone)

ça fait un bail = ça fait longtemps = Long time no see

Au revoir = Goodbye!

Enchanté! = Nice to meet you!

A plus tard = See you later!

A demain = See you tomorrow

A l’année prochaine = See you next year

Quoi de neuf? = On dit quoi? = What’s up?

Takeaways

Good evening in French is Bonsoir. In Africa the same bonsoir is used from 12 PM to say good afternoon. Good afternoon and good evening are the same in French speaking African countries.

French Accents On Keyboard: The 10 QWERTY Shortcuts You Are Not Using

Did you just type the “French accents on keyboard” in the search engine? In other words, you are looking for the easiest way to type the French special characters on your PC. That is what I will be giving you in this post.

This is whal you will learn

The only 1 key that gives you à
How you can type â with keys
The 1 key that makes é
How you can type è with keys
Getting ê with 2 keys
The 2 keys that make î
How to get the letter ô
How you can type û with 2 keys
The Only key that makes ù
Typing ç with only 1 key

French Vowels: Tips For A Better Pronunciation

French vowels are for a word what sugar is for your tea. Imagine what it would be like to pronounce a word like “TJRKPLQNBVM” or like this “ZWRPGDLKMNV”. Very hard, right? That is it! French vowels and Consonants are needed for the construction of a word.

In this post, we are going to learn the number of vowels that exist in French, their pronunciations, and the most difficult one that we should work on the most.

So,

How many vowels do we have in French?

In case you are thinking we have the same number of vowels in both languages, then I need to tell you that you are wrong. We have 6 vowels in French. French vowels are: a, e, i, o, u and Y. Yes, the letter Y is a vowel in French.

Let’s learn

The French Vowels Pronunciation

This is the French vowels list:

a : we pronounce it like ah in English. Ex: La (The)

e (er) is pronounced like er in “her” when it is found at the end of a syllable. Ex: Me Note: This letter is a bit tricky. Most French learners find it hard to pronounce this vowel right. Refer to the audio below to pronounce it the right way. Try to repeat it along with the audio.

I is pronounced like “ee” inside feet, meet. To get it right you need to do as if you were smiling and close your teeth. Make sure you play the audio to get it right.

O is pronounced like o in post-office. Check the audio for a better pronunciation.

U: We do not have this letter in English, so to get it right you will pronounce the letter ee with rounded lips. Check the audio pronunciation below

y may have 3 different sounds based on the place it finds itself.

When it is between 2 consonants it sounds like “ee” in meet. Example: Un mythe = a myth

At the beginning of a word and followed by a consonant, it sounds like “I” as well. Ex: Yvette (ee vet): a person’s name, Yvon (ee von): a person’s name as well.

When it starts a word and followed by a vowel, it sounds like y inside yoak. Ex: Yaourt (yah oor) = Yoghurt

Takeaways On The French Vowels

French vowels play the same role as English vowels. They make words’ pronunciations easier. To master them, you just have to practice them often. I hope you have learned something.

Please if you have any way to learn the pronunciation of the French vowel do not forget to share in the comment session.

French Accents: The Easiest Way To Differentiate Them

Like I said before, French accents may seem confusing when you can’t remember exactly in which direction the acute accent known as accent aigu or the grave accent known as accent grave should go.

Let’s find out the basics

What Are French Accents Used For?

We use the French accents for the following reasons:

1. To Change the sound of a letter

For example, an acute accent on the e will make it é (like in a day) and a grave accent on the e will turn the same e to è ( ai like in fair).

2. To differentiate 2 words from each other

Let’s go by example. I like giving examples because I believe it is the easiest way to illustrate something and to pass a message a cross.

So,

Putting a grave accent on the U in Où (where) will clearly help us differentiate it from the Ou ( or) without a grave accent

French Accents: The Acute And the Grave Accent?

Like I said before, French accents may seem confusing when you can’t remember exactly in which direction the acute accent known as accent aigu or the grave accent known as grave should go.

The difference is in the sound and the direction of the slanting line on top of the letter.

I know what you are thinking,

You want to say that since the acute accent can be found only on the letter e and it gives you the “ay” sound like in a day, and the grave accent the “ai” sound like in “fair” there should be any confusion, right?

But how do you identify the symbols? This is the secret …

The acute accent oblique line goes from your bottom left to your top right. You need to follow the direction if not you won’t get it right. That is it! So the 2 examples above will read Aytay and Baybay.

Meanwhile, for the grave accent,

To get the slant right, you need to start from your top left to your bottom right. It’s that simple. The acute accent can be found on many letters like a, e, and u.

When it is on “a” it changes the a ( has) to à (at/to).

Ex: Il a de l’argent = He has money

On the letter “e” it changes the “e” to “è” (as seen above)

Ex: Père, Mère

When you see it on the letter u; it is for precision purposes compared to other similar words:

Ex: Ou (or) >> L’un ou l’autre = either of the two

Où (where) >> Où vas-tu? = Where are you going?

The French Circumflex accent

The circumflex is one of the most commons French accents. The good thing about it is that it is not confusing at all with its nice hat shape ^.

The Pronunciation of words with ^

Out of the 3 French accents, the circumflex accent is the only 1 that you can find on almost all vowels. You must be wondering why I am saying almost, right. I said so because the 5 vowels above are not the only French vowels we have in French.

Most of the time the circumflex accent makes the final sound longer.

Ex: la fête (la faitt) = The party, l’âne (lahnn) = donkey, etc

Cedilla Is One Of The Lower French Accents

As one of the lower French accents, cedilla (¸ ) is an accent in the shape of an incomplete 5 you will find underneath the letter C only and before the letter a, o, and u only as well to make the “S” sound. Just see this letter as the letter “S”.

According to Wikipedia,

Ç or ç (C-cedilla) is a Latin script letter, used in the Albanian, Azerbaijani, Manx, Tatar, Turkish, Turkmen, Kurdish, Zazaki, and Romance alphabets. Romance languages that use this letter include Catalan, French, Friulian, Ligurian, Occitan, and Portuguese as a variant of the letter C.
Wiikipedia

In this French lesson video, which is above I have explained clearly how you can quickly master the French most confusing accents to get you speaking fast.

The French accents’ pronunciation is not hard and it is not easy either. It all depends on how you go about it. The takeaway from this is to practice it often.

I there is a way you were able to solve the confusion in the French accent, please share it in the comment below.