French vocabulary list: Useful prepositions

📘 French Vocabulary List: 20 Useful Prepositions

Prepositions (les prépositions) are small but powerful words that show the relationship between words in a sentence (place, time, cause, purpose, etc.).

Here are 20 essential French prepositions every beginner should know, with translations and examples.


1. à → to, at, in

  • Je vais à Paris. → I’m going to Paris.

  • Il est à l’école. → He is at school.


2. de → of, from

  • Le livre de Marie. → Marie’s book.

  • Je viens de Londres. → I come from London.


3. dans → in, inside

  • Il est dans la maison. → He is in the house.


4. en → in, to (used with feminine countries & months)

  • J’habite en France. → I live in France.

  • Nous partirons en août. → We’ll leave in August.


5. sur → on, upon

  • Le livre est sur la table. → The book is on the table.


6. sous → under

  • Le chat est sous la chaise. → The cat is under the chair.


7. chez → at the home/place of

  • Je vais chez mon ami. → I’m going to my friend’s (house).


8. avec → with

  • Je pars avec mes parents. → I’m leaving with my parents.


9. sans → without

  • Il est parti sans son passeport. → He left without his passport.


10. pour → for, in order to

  • Ce cadeau est pour toi. → This gift is for you.

  • Je travaille pour réussir. → I work in order to succeed.


11. par → by, through

  • Le livre est écrit par Victor Hugo. → The book is written by Victor Hugo.

  • Regarder par la fenêtre. → Look through the window.


12. vers → towards, around (time)

  • Il marche vers la gare. → He walks towards the station.

  • Je viendrai vers 20h. → I’ll come around 8 p.m.


13. contre → against

  • L’équipe joue contre ses rivaux. → The team is playing against its rivals.


14. après → after

  • Je pars après le déjeuner. → I’m leaving after lunch.


15. avant → before

  • Fais tes devoirs avant le dîner. → Do your homework before dinner.


16. pendant → during

  • Il dort pendant la réunion. → He sleeps during the meeting.


17. depuis → since, for (duration)

  • J’habite ici depuis 2010. → I’ve lived here since 2010.

  • Elle attend depuis deux heures. → She’s been waiting for two hours.


18. jusqu’à → until, up to

  • Je travaille jusqu’à 18h. → I work until 6 p.m.


19. entre → between

  • La boulangerie est entre la banque et l’école. → The bakery is between the bank and the school.


20. près de → near, close to

  • J’habite près de la gare. → I live near the station.


✅ Quick Recap

Most common French prepositions include:

  • Place: à, dans, en, sur, sous, chez, près de

  • Time: avant, après, pendant, depuis, jusqu’à, vers

  • Cause/Goal: pour, sans, par, contre, avec

👉 Prepositions are always followed by a noun, pronoun, or infinitive.


🎯 Practice Exercise

Translate into French:

  1. I live in France.

  2. The cat is under the table.

  3. We are leaving after lunch.

  4. I’m going to my friend’s house.

  5. She has been waiting for two hours.

Answers:

  1. J’habite en France.

  2. Le chat est sous la table.

  3. Nous partons après le déjeuner.

  4. Je vais chez mon ami.

  5. Elle attend depuis deux heures.


Conclusion

Learning these 20 essential French prepositions will help you describe place, time, and relationships in everyday conversations. They are small words, but they carry a lot of meaning in French.

👉 Pro tip: Memorize prepositions together with example sentences — not just as isolated words — to use them naturally.


TAGS: French prepositions list, useful French prepositions, French grammar for beginners, common French words with examples, French basic vocabulary

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