French Prepositions: Forms And Usage May 2026

: The prepositions à and de must contract when followed by the definite articles le or les : à + le = au à + les = aux de + le = du de + les = des

Le chien dort sous la table. (The dog is sleeping under the table) Je sors avec mes amis. (I am going out with my friends) Important Rules of Usage French Prepositions: Forms and Usage

Use for feminine countries ( en France ) or masculine countries starting with a vowel ( en Iran ). Use au for masculine countries ( au Canada ). Use à for cities ( à Lyon ). : The prepositions à and de must contract

For a deep dive into these structures, resources like the Busuu Guide to Prepositions or the reference book "French Prepositions: Forms and Usage" by Trudie Maria Booth provide comprehensive lists and contextual examples. Use au for masculine countries ( au Canada )

: Prepositions often change based on the gender and number of the destination:

The French prepositions of place À, À la, À l', Au, and Aux in French

In French, prepositions are invariable words that link nouns, pronouns, or infinitives to the rest of a sentence to indicate relationships of place, time, manner, or cause. They are categorized into (single words like à , de , en ) and compound prepositions (phrases like à côté de , en face de ). Common French Prepositions and Their Usage Preposition Core Meanings Usage Example À to, at, in Je vais à Paris. (I am going to Paris) De of, from, about Il est de Paris. (He is from Paris) Dans in, inside Le chat est dans la boîte. (The cat is in the box) En in, to, by Nous voyageons en train. (We travel by train) Chez at/to someone's place Je vais chez Marie. (I'm going to Marie's house) Pour C'est pour toi. (It is for you) Sur on, on top of Le livre est sur la table. (The book is on the table) Sous