Do not confuse
1. the preposition à cause de (because of) and the conjunction parce que (because)
- À cause de is followed by a noun or pronoun, parce que is followed by a subordinate clause.
II n'est pas venu à cause de Ia neige. II n'est pas venu parce qu'il neigeait. He didn't come because of the snow. He didn't come because it was snowing.
2. à Ia fin de (at the end of) and au bout de (at the end of)
- À Ia fin de is used with time periods that are not accompanied by a number.
à Ia fin du mois at the end of the month
- Au bout de is used with time periods that are accompanied by a number or an expression of quantity.
au bout de trois jours / mois /semaines, etc. at the end of three days / months / weeks, etc.
- Au bout de can be followed by a place, à Ia fin de cannot. II y a une station service au bout de Ia rue.
There is a service station at the end of the street. 3. avant and devant
- Avant (opposite: après) expresses before in time. Je ne me couche jamais avant minuit.
- Devant (opposite: derrière) expresses in front of in place. Le lit est devant Ia fenêtre.
The bed is in front of the window. 4. avant and avant de
- Avant can be followed by a noun or pronoun. avant Ia réunion before the meeting - Avant de is followed by the present infinitive.
J'ai fermé Ia fenêtre avant de partir. I closed the window before leaving.
Avant de devenir un musée, Orsay était une gare. Before becoming a museum, Orsay was a train station. 5. entre and parmi
- Entre is used to express between two people or things. J'étais assis entre mon père et ma mère.
I was seated between my father and mother.
- Entre also indicates the limit between two (clock) times. Les magasins sont fermés entre midi et deux heures. The stores are closed between noon and 2 o’clock.
- Parmi expresses among more than two people or things. II y avait un bébé parmi les survivants.
There was a baby among the survivors. Vous pourrez choisir parmi six ateliers.
You will be able to choose between six workshops. 6. dans ( + time period) and en ( + time period)
- Dans + unit of time expresses “in” (meaning after), indicating the period of time at the end of which an action will take place.
Je serai de retour dans une heure.
I will be back in an hour (= an hour from now). Je suis à vous dans un instant.
I am all yours in a moment. ( = I will be with you shortly.) - En + unit of time indicates the time needed to complete an action.
II a écrit le roman en trois mois.
He wrote the novel in (= within) three months. 7. vers and envers
- Vers (toward) indicates a direction. Ils se sont précipités vers Ia sortie. They rushed toward the exit.
- Vers also indicates an approximate clock time (around, at about) except after il est.
Venez vers six heures. Come at about six o’clock.
- Vers cannot be used after il est to indicate an approximate clock time. The adverb environ is used instead:
II est environ deux heures. It is about two o’clock
- Envers refers to a person's feeling or attitude toward someone. Sois respectueux envers tes parents.
Be respectful toward your parents.
8. penser à (to think about) and penser de (to think about) - Penser de expresses to have an opinion of somebody or something. It is most often used in direct questions such as Que penses-tu de ... (or: Qu'est-ce que tu penses de ... ), and in indirect questions such as Je ne sais pas ce qu'il
pense de ... , Je vais vous dire ce que je pense de … . Que pensez-vous de ce problème?
or: Qu'est-ce que vous pensez de ce problème? What do you think about this problem?
Sur le site ‘Rate-my-professors', les étudiants disent ce qu'ils pensent de leurs professeurs.
On the site 'Rate-my-professors', the students say what they think about their professors.
- Penser à expresses to have one's thoughts with somebody or something.
À qui penses-tu? — Je pense à mon ami.
Whom are you thinking about? — I am thinking about my friend.
À quoi penses-tu? — Je pense à mes vacances.
What are you thinking about? — I am thinking about my vacation.
9. depuis (for), pendant (for) and pour (for), followed by a time period - Depuis is used to translate for (+ time period) when referring to an action or situation that started in the past and continues in the present. Note that the verb is in the present tense in such sentences.
J'étudie le français depuis cinq ans.
I have studied (have been studying) French for five years. (And I still do.)
- Note that depuis also means since. depuis Noel / lundi / hier
since Christmas / Monday / yesterday
- Do not confuse the preposition depuis with the conjunction depuis que, which introduces a subordinate clause.
J'habite en Californie depuis que je suis né. I have lived in California since I was born. Elle est heureuse depuis qu'elle vit en France.
She has been happy since she lives (or: has been living) in France.
- Pendant (which can be omitted if the time period follows the verb immediately) is used to translate for (+ time period) when referring to an action or situation which was completed in the past.
II a étudié à Paris pendant cinq ans. or: II a étudié cinq ans à Paris.
He studied in Paris for five years. (But he no longer does.) - Note that pendant also means during.
Pendant can be used with the present, the future, and past tenses. En général, je visite un musée pendant une heure maximum. Mais je vais rester dans le nouveau musée pendant trois heures. Les conservateurs du nouveau musée ont cherché des tableaux pour ce musée pendant dix ans.
- Pour is used to translate for (+ time period) when the intended duration (in the future) of an action is referred to. Pour frequently follows the verbs of motion aller, venir, sortir and partir.
Ils vont en Europe pour un mois. They go to Europe for a month.
Ils partent pour I' Afrique pour deux ans. They are leaving for Africa for two years. Elle est venue pour quelques jours.
She came for a few days.
Mon cousin est ici pour quatre semaines. My cousin is here for four weeks.
Translation issues
English “in” is not translated using dans but with other prepositions in the following instances:
in the photo / picture sur Ia photo / l’image
in the tree sur l'arbre
in the chair sur Ia chaise in his (bank) account sur son compte in the parking lot sur le parking in the country à Ia campagne
in the sun au soleil
in the shade à l'ombre in the 20th century au 20e siècle
in spring au printemps
in the evening au soir (or: Ie soir) in the morning au matin (or: Ie matin)
to be interested in s'intéresser à, être intéresse par in all kinds of weather par tous les temps
to be in a good / in a bad mood
être de bonne / de mauvaise humeur
at three o'clock in the morning à trois heures du matin at two o'clock in the afternoon à deux heures de l'après-midi at eight o'clock in the evening à huit heures du soir
in the rain sous Ia pluie
in the shower sous Ia douche
in (a state of) shock sous le choc
in 1960 en 1960 in May en mai in summer en été in fall en automne in winter en hiver in [+ name of a language] en
in Spanish en espagnol in [+ time period] (meaning within) en
in [+ city name] à
in Rome à Rome
dans is not used if one does not get inside the vehicle monter sur un vélo to get on a bike
Frequently, English “on” is not translated by sur, but with other prepositions, or not at all.
• “on” is translated with à (+ def. article) in the following expressions
on TV à Ia télé
on the radio à Ia radio
on the news aux informations on page five à Ia page cinq
on the first (ground) floor au rez-de-chaussée on the second floor au premier étage on the phone au téléphone
on New Year's Eve à Ia Saint-Sylvestre on Mother's Day à Ia Fête des Mères • “on” is translated by dans in expressions such as
on the (intercity) bus dans le car on the train dans le train on the plane dans l'avion on the stairs dans l’escalier • “on” is translated by de in the expressions
on the other side de I'autre côté
on the other side of the border de I'autre côté de Ia frontière
to depend on dépendre de
• “on” is not translated with weekdays and dates
on Sunday dimanche
Frequently, “with” is not translated using avec, but with other prepositions.
• de means “with” after the following verbs, adjectives and past participles:
être / tomber amoureux de to be / fall in love with
être content / mécontent de to be pleased / unsatisfied with Es-tu content de ta chambre?
Are you pleased with your room?
faire qqch de qqn/qqch to do sth with sb/sth Qu'est-ce que j'ai fait de mes clés?
What did I do with my keys?
couvert / rempli de covered / filled with • contre means “with” in the following expressions:
se fâcher contre qqn/qqch to get angry with sb/sth être fâché contre qqn/qqch to be angry with sb/sth
se mettre en colère contre qqn/qqch to get angry with sb/sth être furieux contre qqn/qqch to be furious with sb/sth
• à means “with” when a physical feature of a person is indicated Ia dame aux cheveux blond cendre
the lady with the ash-blond hair
• chez means “with” when the home of a person is referred to Elle habite chez ses parents. She lives with her parents.
