French Prepositions Of Place And Time
French prepositions are tiny words that cause wildly unnecessary stress. Lovely. The good news: once you learn the most common patterns, you can say where something is, when something happens, and stop guessing every other sentence.
In this guide, you’ll learn the main French prepositions of place and time, what they mean in English, and how they work in real-life sentences. We’ll keep it clear, practical, and beginner-friendly.
Yak Box: The Big Idea
Prepositions of place tell you where something is: in, on, under, near, at.
Prepositions of time tell you when something happens: at, in, during, since, before, after.
French often uses different prepositions from English, so direct word-for-word translation will betray you with a smile.
Prepositions Of Place: The Core Set
Start with these high-use prepositions. These are the ones you’ll meet everywhere: in conversations, directions, texts, menus, train announcements, and the occasional dramatic message about meeting in front of the wrong café.
dans
English meaning: in, inside
Example: Le livre est dans le sac. = The book is in the bag.
sur
English meaning: on
Example: Le téléphone est sur la table. = The phone is on the table.
sous
English meaning: under, below
Example: Le chat dort sous la chaise. = The cat is sleeping under the chair.
devant
English meaning: in front of
Example: Il attend devant la gare. = He is waiting in front of the station.
derrière
English meaning: behind
Example: Le jardin est derrière la maison. = The garden is behind the house.
entre
English meaning: between
Example: La boulangerie est entre la banque et la pharmacie. = The bakery is between the bank and the pharmacy.
à côté de
English meaning: next to, beside
Example: Le café est à côté du musée. = The café is next to the museum.
près de
English meaning: near
Example: J’habite près de l’école. = I live near the school.
loin de
English meaning: far from
Example: Nous sommes loin du centre-ville. = We are far from the city centre.
Using à, en, au, and aux For Place
These are tiny but extremely important. French uses them for cities, countries, and some common place expressions.
| Preposition | English Meaning | When To Use It | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| à | in, at, to | Usually with cities or specific places | J’habite à Paris. = I live in Paris. |
| en | in, to | Usually with feminine countries and most countries starting with a vowel | Elle voyage en France. = She is travelling in France. |
| au | in, to | With masculine singular countries; also à + le | Il travaille au Japon. = He works in Japan. |
| aux | in, to | With plural countries; also à + les | Ils vont aux États-Unis. = They are going to the United States. |
| chez | at the home or place of | With people, professionals, businesses named after people | On dîne chez Marc. = We’re having dinner at Marc’s place. |
Useful note: au and aux are contractions. à + le = au, and à + les = aux. French likes efficiency when it feels like it.
Place Patterns You’ll Use All The Time
- à la maison = at home
Je reste à la maison ce soir. = I’m staying at home tonight. - au bureau = at the office
Elle est au bureau jusqu’à 18 heures. = She is at the office until 6 p.m. - à l’école = at school
Les enfants sont à l’école. = The children are at school. - dans la rue = in the street
Il y a beaucoup de monde dans la rue. = There are lots of people in the street. - sur la plage = on the beach
Nous marchons sur la plage. = We are walking on the beach. - face à = facing, opposite
L’hôtel est face à la mer. = The hotel faces the sea.
Prepositions Of Time: The Core Set
Now let’s deal with time. French uses different prepositions depending on whether you mean a clock time, a month, a season, duration, or a point in the future. Yes, one tiny word can change the whole sentence. Rude but true.
à
English meaning: at
Example: Le cours commence à 9 heures. = The class starts at 9 o’clock.
en
English meaning: in, during
Example: Nous partons en avril. = We are leaving in April.
Example: Elle est née en 2001. = She was born in 2001.
au
English meaning: in, during
Example: On voyage au printemps. = We travel in spring.
pendant
English meaning: during, for
Example: J’ai étudié pendant deux heures. = I studied for two hours.
depuis
English meaning: since, for
Example: J’habite ici depuis 2020. = I have lived here since 2020.
Example: Il travaille ici depuis trois ans. = He has been working here for three years.
dans
English meaning: in, from now
Example: Le train part dans dix minutes. = The train leaves in ten minutes.
More Useful Time Prepositions
| Preposition | English Meaning | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| avant | before | Something happens earlier than another moment | Je bois un café avant le cours. = I drink a coffee before class. |
| après | after | Something happens later than another moment | On se voit après le travail. = We’ll see each other after work. |
| jusqu’à | until | End point in time | Le magasin est ouvert jusqu’à 20 heures. = The shop is open until 8 p.m. |
| vers | around, about | Approximate time | J’arrive vers midi. = I’m arriving around noon. |
| de… à… | from… to… | Start and end times | Je travaille de 9 heures à 17 heures. = I work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. |
| à partir de | from, starting from | Starting point only | Le musée est gratuit à partir de 18 heures. = The museum is free from 6 p.m. onward. |
| le | on | Specific days and dates | On se retrouve le lundi. = We meet on Monday. |
| tous les | every | Repeated schedule | Je fais du sport tous les samedis. = I do sport every Saturday. |
Rule To Example: The Patterns That Matter Most
Rule: Use à For Clock Times
Meaning: at
Le film commence à 21 heures. = The film starts at 9 p.m.
Rule: Use en For Months And Years
Meaning: in
Je pars en juillet. = I’m leaving in July.
Elle est arrivée en 2024. = She arrived in 2024.
Rule: Use au For Singular Masculine Seasons
Meaning: in, during
Il fait froid au printemps ? = Is it cold in spring?
Nous skions en hiver. is also common with seasons, especially when talking generally about what happens in that season. So yes, French gives you two patterns here. Naturally.
Rule: Use depuis For An Action That Started In The Past And Still Continues
Meaning: since, for
J’étudie le français depuis six mois. = I have been studying French for six months.
Rule: Use pendant For A Finished Duration
Meaning: for, during
Nous avons parlé pendant une heure. = We talked for an hour.
Useful Real-Life Sentences
- Je suis à la gare. = I am at the station.
- Le portefeuille est dans la voiture. = The wallet is in the car.
- Le journal est sur le canapé. = The newspaper is on the sofa.
- Le chien dort sous le bureau. = The dog is sleeping under the desk.
- Nous attendons devant le cinéma. = We are waiting in front of the cinema.
- Le parking est derrière l’hôtel. = The car park is behind the hotel.
- La pharmacie est près de la mairie. = The pharmacy is near the town hall.
- Je dîne chez mes parents ce soir. = I’m having dinner at my parents’ place tonight.
- Le rendez-vous est à 14 heures. = The appointment is at 2 p.m.
- Je reviens en septembre. = I’m coming back in September.
- On part dans une heure. = We’re leaving in an hour.
- Il vit ici depuis longtemps. = He has lived here for a long time.
- J’ai travaillé pendant toute la matinée. = I worked all morning.
- On se voit après le déjeuner. = We’ll see each other after lunch.
- Le magasin ferme vers 19 heures. = The shop closes around 7 p.m.
Common Mistakes And Fast Fixes
| Common Mistake | Why It’s Wrong | Better French |
|---|---|---|
| Je vais à France. | Countries usually do not take à like cities do. | Je vais en France. = I’m going to France. |
| Le train part en 10 minutes. | en is not usually used for “from now” time. | Le train part dans 10 minutes. = The train leaves in 10 minutes. |
| J’habite ici pendant trois ans. | pendant sounds finished; the action still continues. | J’habite ici depuis trois ans. = I have lived here for three years. |
| Je suis au Paris. | Cities usually take à, not au. | Je suis à Paris. = I am in Paris. |
| Le livre est à la table. | For physical position “on” a surface, French usually uses sur. | Le livre est sur la table. = The book is on the table. |
Quick Practice
Pick the correct preposition. No dramatic panic required.
- Le chat est ___ le lit. (under)
- Nous arrivons ___ 8 heures. (at)
- Elle habite ici ___ 2019. (since)
- Le restaurant est ___ la banque et le cinéma. (between)
- Je pars ___ décembre. (in)
- Le concert commence ___ vingt minutes. (in, from now)
Answers
- sous — Le chat est sous le lit.
- à — Nous arrivons à 8 heures.
- depuis — Elle habite ici depuis 2019.
- entre — Le restaurant est entre la banque et le cinéma.
- en — Je pars en décembre.
- dans — Le concert commence dans vingt minutes.
Quick Reference Summary
| French | English Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| dans | in, inside / in, from now | dans le sac / dans dix minutes |
| sur | on | sur la table |
| sous | under | sous la chaise |
| devant | in front of | devant la gare |
| derrière | behind | derrière la maison |
| entre | between | entre deux magasins |
| près de | near | près du parc |
| chez | at someone’s place | chez Paul |
| à | at | à 15 heures |
| en | in | en mai, en 2026 |
| depuis | since, for | depuis deux ans |
| pendant | for, during | pendant une semaine |
| avant | before | avant le dîner |
| après | after | après le travail |
Final Yak: Learn prepositions in chunks, not as random lonely words. Memorise à Paris, en France, à 8 heures, depuis trois ans, dans dix minutes. Your brain likes patterns. Your textbook occasionally forgets that.
