Prepositions are a very important element in French sentences. They’re essential words that are placed after a verb, a noun, or an adjective in order to indicate a relationship between that word and the noun or pronoun that follows.
Most Common French Prepositions
While there are prepositions in both English and French, you can’t compare them. This is because French prepositions can have more than one meaning in English.
Also, in a sentence in French, you could have the need to use a preposition when in English you wouldn’t, and vice versa.
Here are a few of the most common prepositions used in French:
- à(to, at, in):
Nous allons à Nice.
We’re going to Nice.
- de (from, of, about):
La voiture de Nicole.
Nicole’s car.
- contre (against):
C’est un acte contre nature.
It’s an act against nature.
- dans (in):
Mets les livres dans le carton.
Put the books in the box.
- en (in, to):
Je l’ai fait en cinq minutes.
I did it in five minutes.
Learn more about 2 French Prepositions that Mean IN: DANS, EN
Different Uses of the French Preposition Entre:
Entre is one preposition that can be used several ways because it has quite a few meanings, but they can be translated to between:
- It can be used to explain that something is in the space that separates things or people.
La voiture a tombés en panne entre ta maison et la mienne.
The car broke down between your home and mine.
- Something that is located in a time interval, a duration between two moments.
Téléphonez-moi entre midi et quatre.
Call me between noon and four o’clock.
- An intermediate state.
Une couleur entre le bleu et le vert.
A color between blue and green.
- The set within which a possibility of choice is offered.
Il a fallu choisir entre plusieurs hôtels.
We had to choose between several hotels.
- A relationship of reciprocity, friendship, or even hostility, similarity, or difference.
Une grande analogie entre deux situations.
A big analogy between two situations.
- A group of people to the exclusion of all others.
Nous fêterons ça entre nous.
We’ll do that between us.
Different Uses of the French Preposition Parmi
Just like with entre, parmi has quite a few meanings, so you can use it in different situations, but if you want to translate it to English, you might use it like among or amongst.
- A set of which something or someone is part of; in number of.
Vous rangez ce document parmi les autres ?
Do you place this document among the others?
- A place, a group; at the house of.
Son nom est très respecté parmi les critiques.
His name is very respected among critics.
- A framework is a set of beings or things where someone or something is located in.
Se perdre parmi la foule.
Get lost in the crowd.
You’re ready to use the most common French prepositions
As we come to the end of this lesson, we hope that with all the grammar tips and examples we gave, you now know how and when to use the most common French prepositions. So, go out, have fun, practice, and put all your knowledge to the test.