In French, a preposition is a service part of speech that does not change; it serves to connect words in a sentence and indicates different relationships between these words (place, affiliation, etc.) in a given sentence. Prepositions also may not have a separate meaning and serve as a simple “tool” of grammar. In this article we will analyze the meanings of the prepositions "à" and "de" in the French language, as well as a few of the most used in speech.
The preposition "à"
In French, the preposition "à" remains one of the most frequently used. What are the cases of its use?
1. May be an excuse for a place and also indicate:
- distance from any place:
Le port se trouve à 2 kilomètres de la ville. - The port is 2 kilometers from the city.
La salle de sport se trouve à 30 mètres de chez moi. - The gym is 30 meters from my house.
- location of someone:
Il est à Moscou. - He (is) in Moscow.
Il a trouvé les cours de l'italien à Moscou. - He found Italian courses in Moscow.
- direction of travel: Il va à Moscou. - He's going to Moscow. Nous allons à Marseille. - We're going to Marseille.
Also, the French preposition "à" is used in the expressions: à droite - to the right; à gauche - to the left.
2. Can express a course of action: S'il vous plaît, parlez à basse voix. - Please speak quietly!
3. Is a pretext for time: On t'attend à minuit. “We are waiting for you at midnight.”
4. Can express a mode of action: We play together. - Nous jouons à deux.
5. Used to indicate value or measure: A quel prix tu as acheté cette robe. “At what price did you buy this dress?”
6. It can be posed before an indirect addition:
- which is expressed by the infinitive:
Il commence à regarder la télé. - He starts to watch TV.
Elle s'est mise à pleurer. - She started to cry.
- which is expressed by a noun and answers the question "for what?" (expresses the purpose of the item):
Une cuillère à dessert. - Spoon for dessert.
Une tasse à thé. - A cup for tea.
- which is expressed by a noun and indicating belonging:
Ce journal est à mon frère. - This newspaper belongs to my brother.
Cet ordinateur est à mon père. - This computer belongs to my dad.
- which is expressed by a noun and answers the question of what? to whom? J'écris une lettre à ma mère. - I am writing a letter to my mother. Je m'intéresse à l'histoire. “I'm interested in history.”
7. In French, the preposition "à" is also used in stable expressions (in spoken French):
A tes souhaits - be healthy! (if the interlocutor sneezes).
A la vôtre (à la tienne)! - For you! To your health! (when clinking glasses).
A table! - To the table!
A l'aide! - Help!
The French preposition "à", merging with the definite articles "les" and "le", forms the merged forms "aux" and "au":
Au secours! - For help!
Je suis allé au cinéma cet après-midi. - Today after lunch I went to the cinema.
Le professeur a parlé aux élèves. - The teacher spoke with the students.
The French preposition "à" in Russian corresponds to the prepositions: s, na, c.
The preposition "de"
The preposition "de" in French is also very functional. It can also express various relationships in a sentence.
1. The preposition "de" is used to indicate a place (used to indicate the starting point of a movement): Vous êtes de Moscou? - Are You from Moscow?
2. It plays the role of an excuse of time: du matin au soir - from morning to night, de notre temps - nowadays.
3. Action pretext: Elle a parlé d'un ton méchant. - She spoke in an angry voice.
4. The preposition "de" in French is also a pretext for a mode of action: Il joue du piano. - He plays the piano.
5. Expresses measure (size): Tu es moins grand que lui de 13 centimètres. “You're 13 centimeters lower than him.”
6. Used to express the reason: Il a tremblé de froid. - He was trembling from the cold.
7. The preposition "de" in French is confronted with a direct complement: Je lui propose de manger chez moi. “I suggest he eat with me.”
8. The preposition "de" is also used before the indirect addition:
- if it is expressed by the infinitive: Il n'a pas peur d'y aller. - He is not afraid to go there.
- if it is expressed by a noun or pronoun: Cela ne dépend pas de vous. - It does not depend on you.
9. The French preposition "de" in a sentence may indicate affiliation:
- la fourchette du père - father’s fork;
- la table du professeur - teacher's desk.
10. May indicate material from which the item is made:
- marble steps - marches de marbre.
11. Gives an indication of the purpose of the subject:
- chaussures de sport - shoes for sports;
- la salle de sport - gym.
12. May indicate the subject the action is directed to:
- capture of the Bastille - prise de la Bastille.
13. May indicate origin:
- le train de Moscou - train from Moscow;
- l'avion de Nantes is a plane from Nantes.
14. May indicate an instrument of action:
- hit with a hand - frapper de la main.
15. The French preposition "de" is used in some stable phrases: wire - fil de fer, town hall - hôtel de ville.
The preposition "en"
An analogue in the Russian language will be the prepositions "in", "by", "on" (image and mode of action), as well as other meanings:
Il a voyagé en voiture (en bateau). - He traveled by car (in a boat).
J'écris en russe. - I read in Russian.
Ce braclet est en argent. - This bracelet is made of silver.
Alexandre Pouchkine est né en 1799. - Alexander Pushkin was born in 1799.
J'ai dîné en quarante minutes. “I had dinner in forty minutes.”
Vivre en Biélorussie. - To live in Belarus.
Aller en Italie. - Go to Italy.
Voyager en hiver (en automne, en été). - Travel in winter (autumn, summer).
The exception is in the spring: au printemps.
Je vais faire ce travail en quatre jours. “I will do this work in four days.”
The preposition "pour"
The French preposition "pour" is translated into Russian as "to", "for", "for", there are also other meanings:
Elle est sortie pour acheter un livre. - She went out to buy a book.
J'ai une bonne nouvelle pour vous. “I have good news for you.”
Il part pour trois jours. - He leaves for three days.
Merci pour ton accueil. - Thank you for the welcome.
Le magasin est fermé pour travaux. - The store is closed for repairs.
Partir pour Venise. - Leave for Venice.
Tu me prends pour un fou? - You take me for a fool?
The preposition "dans"
Most often, this preposition is the French analogue of "through" and "in" (in the meaning of "inside"), and also has other meanings:
Dans la boîte. - In the box.
Dans ce cinéma il ya une centaine de places. - There are hundreds of seats in this cinema.
Dans son enfance j'étais très mignon. - As a child, I was very nice.
Vivre dans une maison confortable. - Living in a comfortable house.
Il part dans quatre jours. “He's leaving in four days.”
Mon amie travaille dans une librairie. - My girlfriend works in the library.
The preposition "sur"
This preposition matters on the surface of something:
Les journaux sont sur le lit. - Newspapers on the bed.
Je colle des timbres sur mon enveloppe. - I stick the stamps on the envelope.
Compte sur eux! - Count on them.
Cette fenêtre donne sur la piscine. - This window overlooks the pool.
The prepositions "devant" and "avant"
How do they differ, because both translate as "before, before"? "Devant" is used before the circumstance of a place, and "avant" is used before the circumstance of time:
Ils sont venus au port avant le départ du bateau. - They arrived at the port before the departure (before departure) of the boat.
Il ya une piscine devant l'école. - There is a pool in front of the school.
The preposition "entre"
From French, "entre" is translated as "between" (it is used to denote the space (place, time) separating objects, faces):
Entre 9 heures et minuit. “Between nine o'clock and midnight.”
Entre les deux bâtiments. - Between two buildings.
Other prepositions
The preposition "chez" has the meaning "k, y" (it is used before nouns that denote persons):
Nous habitons chez notre oncle. “We live with my uncle.”
Nous allons chez notre tante. “We're going to our aunt.”
There is the pretext "contre" - against, to (in the meaning of "close"):
Es-tu pour ou contre ce projet? - Are you for or against this project?
Nous mettons le canapé contre le mur. - We put a small sofa against the wall.
The preposition "avec" means "c", it is used with different circumstances.
Lire avec attention. - Read carefully.
Manger avec une fourchette. - There is a fork.
Venez avec ce monsieur! - Go with this gentleman!
The preposition "parmi" means "among", "between" (it is used in order to distinguish one person (object) from a group of persons (objects):
Parmi les candidats se trouvait le Premier Ministre. - Among the candidates was the Prime Minister.
Y at-il un ingénieur parmi vous? - Is there an engineer among you?
The preposition "après" corresponds to the Russian prepositions "later", "through", "for". Sometimes it is confused with the adverb "après" (then, after, then).
1. It can indicate the location (behind something): Après le corridor, la salle de bain. - Beyond the corridor is the bathroom.
2. Can mean "after some period of time": Nous sommes revenus à Moscou quatre jours après. - We returned to Moscow in four days.
3. May be in the composition of stable expressions: soupirer après - to yearn for ..., sigh for ...; après tout - ultimately, after all.