A2 French GrammarPrepositions (Location & Direction)
Master French prepositions for expressing location, direction, and movement. Learn when to use à, de, dans, sur, sous, chez, and more. Understand how prepositions combine with articles to form contracted forms like au, aux, du, and des.
1Basic Location Prepositions
French has specific prepositions for different location concepts. Dans means inside/in, sur means on top of, sous means under, and devant/derrière express in front of/behind. These prepositions remain the same regardless of gender or number of the following noun.
Location Prepositions
| French | English | Usage |
|---|---|---|
| dans | in, inside | enclosed spaces |
| sur | on, on top of | surfaces |
| sous | under, beneath | below something |
| devant | in front of | facing position |
| derrière | behind | back position |
| entre | between | two objects |
Examples
Le chat est dans la boîte.
The cat is in the box.
dans for enclosed spaces
Le livre est sur la table.
The book is on the table.
sur for surfaces
Les clés sont sous le journal.
The keys are under the newspaper.
sous for below
Elle est devant le magasin.
She is in front of the store.
devant for facing position
2À and De with Contractions
The prepositions à (at, to) and de (from, of) contract with the definite articles le and les. À + le becomes au, à + les becomes aux. De + le becomes du, de + les becomes des. No contraction occurs with la or l'.
Contractions with À
| Article | + à | Example |
|---|---|---|
| le | au | au cinéma (to the cinema) |
| la | à la | à la gare (to the station) |
| l' | à l' | à l'école (to school) |
| les | aux | aux États-Unis (to the USA) |
Contractions with De
| Article | + de | Example |
|---|---|---|
| le | du | du bureau (from the office) |
| la | de la | de la maison (from the house) |
| l' | de l' | de l'hôtel (from the hotel) |
| les | des | des enfants (of the children) |
Examples
Je vais au marché.
I'm going to the market.
à + le = au
Elle revient de la piscine.
She's coming back from the pool.
de la (no contraction with la)
Nous parlons aux étudiants.
We're speaking to the students.
à + les = aux
C'est le livre du professeur.
It's the teacher's book.
de + le = du (possession)
3Chez and Movement Prepositions
Chez is uniquely French, meaning at/to someone's place or business. For movement, use vers (toward), jusqu'à (as far as, until), and à travers (through/across). These help express direction and destination beyond simple location.
Movement Prepositions
| French | English | Example |
|---|---|---|
| chez | at/to someone's place | chez Marie |
| vers | toward | vers la sortie |
| jusqu'à | as far as, until | jusqu'à Paris |
| à travers | through, across | à travers la forêt |
| autour de | around | autour du lac |
Examples
Je vais chez le médecin.
I'm going to the doctor's.
chez for someone's place/office
Marche vers la lumière.
Walk toward the light.
vers for direction
Nous allons jusqu'à Lyon.
We're going as far as Lyon.
jusqu'à for destination limit
Le chemin passe à travers le parc.
The path goes through the park.
à travers for crossing
4Prepositions with Countries and Cities
French uses different prepositions for countries based on gender. Use en for feminine countries and those starting with vowels, au for masculine countries, and aux for plural countries. For cities, use à without articles: à Paris, à Londres.
Geographic Prepositions
| Rule | Preposition | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| feminine countries | en | en France, en Italie |
| vowel-start countries | en | en Espagne, en Iran |
| masculine countries | au | au Japon, au Canada |
| plural countries | aux | aux États-Unis, aux Pays-Bas |
| cities | à | à Paris, à Berlin |
Examples
Elle habite en Allemagne.
She lives in Germany.
en for feminine country
Ils voyagent au Brésil.
They're traveling to Brazil.
au for masculine country
Je suis né aux Philippines.
I was born in the Philippines.
aux for plural country
Nous allons à Rome demain.
We're going to Rome tomorrow.
à for cities (no article)