Dessous vs. Dessus: Navigating the Intricacies of French Prepositions

If you’re learning French, you’ve likely stumbled upon pairs of words that look strikingly similar but have distinct meanings.

One such confusing pair is ‘Dessous’ and ‘Dessus.’ Let’s clear up any confusion and dive into the nuanced world of these French prepositions.

1. Understanding ‘Dessous’

‘Dessous’ directly translates to ‘under’ or ‘underneath’ in English. It refers to a position that is lower or beneath something else.

For example, in the sentence, “Le chat est sous la table,” meaning “The cat is under the table,” ‘sous’ can be replaced with ‘dessous’ to give “Le chat est dessous la table” with the same meaning.

‘Dessous’ can also be used as a noun to refer to ‘the underside’ of something.

2. Decoding ‘Dessus’

‘Dessus,’ on the other hand, means ‘on’ or ‘above.’ It is used to indicate a position that is higher or on top of something else.

For instance, in the sentence, “Le livre est sur la table,” translating to “The book is on the table,” ‘sur’ can be replaced with ‘dessus’ to create “Le livre est dessus la table” conveying the same idea.

3. Usage in Context

While ‘dessous’ and ‘dessus’ can replace ‘sous’ and ‘sur’ in many cases, they are not always interchangeable.

‘Dessous’ and ‘dessus’ are used when the reference point is already mentioned or known.

For instance, if we say, “Le livre est dessus,” it implies that we already know the reference point, in this case, the table, or that it has been previously mentioned.

4. Other Useful Expressions

French, like any other language, is full of idiomatic expressions.

Here are a couple using ‘dessous’ and ‘dessus’:

• En dessous de: This translates to “below” or “less than” and is used in phrases like “en dessous de zéro” (below zero) or “en dessous de la moyenne” (below average).
• Au-dessus de: This means “above” and can be used in sentences like “au-dessus de la moyenne” (above average).

5. Common Pitfalls

One of the common pitfalls is that ‘dessus’ and ‘dessous’ are somewhat ambiguous when used alone, as they require a known or implied reference point.

If the reference point is not clear, it is safer to use ‘sur’ or ‘sous’.

Remember that mastering ‘dessous’ and ‘dessus’ will give you a better understanding of spatial relations in French and make your conversations more fluid.

It’s a small step that can make a big difference in your journey to learning French. Happy learning!