Prepositions of Place in French
This section explains Prepositions of Place in French. Prepositions of place are used to describe the position or location of something or someone in French. These words help to answer the question "Where?" and are essential for forming sentences that describe locations.
Common Prepositions of Place in French:
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| sur | on | Le livre est sur la table. | The book is on the table. |
| dans | in | Le chat est dans la boîte. | The cat is in the box. |
| sous | under | Le ballon est sous le canapé. | The ball is under the sofa. |
| devant | in front of | La voiture est devant la maison. | The car is in front of the house. |
| derrière | behind | Le chien est derrière la porte. | The dog is behind the door. |
| à côté de | next to | Le parc est à côté de l'école. | The park is next to the school. |
| près de | near | La pharmacie est près de la banque. | The pharmacy is near the bank. |
| loin de | far from | La plage est loin de ma maison. | The beach is far from my house. |
| entre | between | Le café est entre le cinéma et le musée. | The café is between the cinema and the museum. |
| chez | at the house of | Je vais chez Marie. | I’m going to Marie's house. |
Additional Prepositions:
| French | English | Example Sentence in French | Translation in English |
|---|---|---|---|
| sur | on, upon | Le chat est sur le toit. | The cat is on the roof. |
| contre | against | La chaise est contre le mur. | The chair is against the wall. |
| à | at, to, in | Nous allons à Paris. | We are going to Paris. |
| en face de | opposite | Le restaurant est en face de l'hôtel. | The restaurant is opposite the hotel. |
| au-dessus de | above | Le tableau est au-dessus de le bureau. | The painting is above the desk. |
| au-dessous de | below | Le tapis est au-dessous de la table. | The carpet is below the table. |
| dans le coin de | in the corner of | Le sac est dans le coin de la chambre. | The bag is in the corner of the room. |
Examples of Higher-Tier Sentences:
- Le restaurant est en face de l'hôtel, mais il est un peu loin de la gare.
- Translation: The restaurant is opposite the hotel, but it is a bit far from the train station.
- Il y a un arbre sous la fenêtre, et un banc devant le parc.
- Translation: There is a tree under the window, and a bench in front of the park.
- Le livre est sur l'étagère, entre les deux vases.
- Translation: The book is on the shelf, between the two vases.
- La pharmacie est près de l'hôpital, mais elle est plus loin de la poste.
- Translation: The pharmacy is near the hospital, but it is farther from the post office.
Foundation-Tier Example Sentences:
- La clé est sur la table.
- Translation: The key is on the table.
- Le chien est sous la chaise.
- Translation: The dog is under the chair.
- L'école est près du parc.
- Translation: The school is near the park.
- Le chat est dans la boîte.
- Translation: The cat is in the box.
Tips:
- Use "à" with places like cities or small towns: Je vais à Paris. (I am going to Paris).
- Use "dans" when something is enclosed or inside a space: Le livre est dans le sac. (The book is in the bag).
- Use "sur" for things placed on a surface: Le verre est sur la table. (The glass is on the table).
- "Chez" refers to a person's home or a business location: Nous allons chez Jean. (We are going to Jean’s house).
These notes cover essential prepositions of place for both Foundation and Higher Tier GCSE French, so you can use them in both simple and more complex sentences to describe locations in French.
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