Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

This lesson covers French time prepositions like "en" for months/seasons, "à" for exact times, and "avant" and "après" to show sequence, with examples such as "en juillet" and "à midi."
  1. En is used for months and seasons.
  2. "À" is used for exact hours.
  3. We use "avant" and "après" to indicate an order in time.
Préposition (Preposition)Exemple (Example)
En (In)Nous partons en juillet. (We leave in July.)
À (At)Rendez-vous à midi. (Appointment at noon.)
Avant (Before)Nous partons avant l'école. (We leave before school.)
Après (After)Je me couche après le film. (I go to bed after the film.)

Exceptions!

  1. Attention, do not confuse à (preposition) and a (3rd person singular of the verb avoir in the present).

Exercise 1: Les prépositions de temps: "En, À, Avant, Après"

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

après, avant, en, à

1.
Je rentre ... qu'il pleuve.
(I'm coming back before it rains.)
2.
Elles rentrent ... minuit.
(They come back at midnight.)
3.
Il pleut souvent ... hiver.
(It often rains in winter.)
4.
Il neige souvent ... janvier.
(It often snows in January.)
5.
Nous célébrons ton anniversaire ... mars.
(We celebrate your birthday in March.)
6.
Je mange ... vingt heures.
(I eat at eight o'clock.)
7.
J'étudies ... le repas pour réviser.
(I study after the meal to revise.)
8.
Le temps change ... automne.
(The weather changes in autumn.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Je vais à la plage ___ juillet parce qu'il fait chaud.

(I go to the beach ___ July because it is hot.)

2. Le rendez-vous est ___ midi, ne sois pas en retard.

(The appointment is ___ noon, don't be late.)

3. Nous partons ___ la tempête pour éviter la pluie.

(We leave ___ the storm to avoid the rain.)

4. Je me couche ___ avoir regardé l'orage par la fenêtre.

(I go to bed ___ watching the thunderstorm through the window.)

5. Il fait beau ___ été, avec beaucoup de soleil et peu de nuages.

(The weather is nice ___ summer, with lots of sun and few clouds.)

6. Le brouillard arrive ___ midi, alors sois prudent sur la route.

(The fog arrives ___ noon, so be careful on the road.)

Lesson Overview: Time Prepositions in French

This lesson focuses on four essential French prepositions used to indicate time: en, à, avant, and après. Mastering these prepositions will help you express when events occur and understand the sequence of actions in everyday conversations.

Understanding Each Preposition

  • En: Used for months and seasons to specify when something happens. Example: "Nous partons en juillet." (We leave in July.)
  • À: Used to indicate a specific hour or time of day. Example: "Rendez-vous à midi." (Meeting at noon.)
  • Avant: Means "before" and indicates something occurring earlier than another event. Example: "Nous partons avant l'école." (We leave before school.)
  • Après: Means "after" and indicates something happening following another event. Example: "Je me couche après le film." (I go to bed after the movie.)

Key Points to Remember

  • The preposition en is commonly paired with months and seasons but not with days or precise times.
  • À marks exact times, such as hours of the day.
  • Avant and après are useful to describe the order of events or actions.
  • Be careful not to confuse à (preposition) with a (third person singular of the verb "avoir" in present tense), as they sound the same but serve different functions.

Useful Vocabulary and Phrases

  • juillet – July
  • midi – noon
  • école – school
  • film – movie
  • été – summer

Differences Between French and English Time Prepositions

In English, time prepositions like "in," "at," "before," and "after" serve similar purposes to en, à, avant, and après respectively. However, the use of en in French is more restricted to months and seasons, where English uses "in." For example, "in July" translates to "en juillet." Remember that à corresponds to "at" for precise times, such as "à midi" for "at noon." The prepositions avant and après align directly with "before" and "after," used to express sequence in time.

When learning these prepositions, practice common phrases to build familiarity, such as:

  • Je vais en été. (I go in summer.)
  • Le rendez-vous est à 18 heures. (The meeting is at 6 PM.)
  • Nous mangeons avant la réunion. (We eat before the meeting.)
  • Je lis après le dîner. (I read after dinner.)

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This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

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Alessia Calcagni

Languages for communication in international enterprises and organizations

Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 11:06