Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn to use essential French prepositions of place such as « à » (at), « dans » (in), « sur » (on), and « sous » (under) to accurately describe the position of objects and locations in daily contexts.
  1. Prepositions always precede either a complement or an infinitive verb.
PrépositionExemples
À Il est à la maison.  (He is at home.)
EnIl vit en Autriche.  (He lives in Austria.)
DansLe chat est dans le salon.
DeIl rentre de Suisse.  (He is coming back from Switzerland.)
SurLa lampe est sur le bureau.
SousLe tapis est sous la table.
IciJe vis ici depuis dix ans.  (I have lived here for ten years.)
Là / là-basOù est mon livre ? Je l'ai posé . (Where is my book? I put it there.)

Exercise 1: Les prépositions de lieu: "À", "Dans", "Sur", "Sous", etc...

Instruction: Fill in the correct word.

Show translation Show answers

en, ici, sur, dans, à, sous, de

1. Dans :
Nous mangeons ... ville.
(We eat in the town.)
2. Au sein de :
La lampe est ... la maison, dans la chambre.
(The lamp is at the house, in the bedroom.)
3. Provenance :
Nous allons revoir notre cousin qui rentre ... Belgique.
(We are going to see our cousin who is coming back from Belgium.)
4. Dans :
J'aime voyager. Je vais souvent ... Italie.
(I like to travel. I often go to Italy.)
5. Au dessus :
Le livre est ... la table dans le salon.
(The book is on the table in the living room.)
6. Là :
Le panier du chien est ....
(The dog's basket is here.)
7. En bas :
Le tapis est ... la table de la salle à manger.
(The rug is under the dining room table.)
8. A l'intérieur :
Les clés sont ... le placard de l'entrée.
(The keys are in the hall cupboard.)

Exercise 2: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. La lampe est ___ la table dans le salon.

(The lamp is ___ the table in the living room.)

2. Le canapé est ___ côté de la porte.

(The sofa is ___ next to the door.)

3. Le tapis est ___ la table basse.

(The rug is ___ the coffee table.)

4. L’armoire est ___ la chambre, près du lit.

(The wardrobe is ___ the bedroom, near the bed.)

5. Je pose le livre ___ le bureau ici.

(I put the book ___ the desk here.)

6. La chaise est ___ la table et le canapé.

(The chair is ___ the table and the sofa.)

Understanding French Prepositions of Place

This lesson introduces you to fundamental French prepositions used to indicate location and spatial relationships. These prepositions help describe where objects or people are situated, which is key for everyday communication.

Key Prepositions and Examples

  • À: Il est à la maison.
  • En: Il vit en Autriche.
  • Dans: Le chat est dans le salon.
  • De: Il rentre de Suisse.
  • Sur: La lampe est sur le bureau.
  • Sous: Le tapis est sous la table.
  • Ici: Je vis ici depuis dix ans.
  • Là / là-bas: Où est mon livre ? Je l'ai posé .

How These Prepositions Work

French prepositions of place always precede either a complement (like a noun phrase) or an infinitive verb. They are essential to clearly locate objects or people in space, providing context such as proximity, position above or below, and inside or outside.

Important Notes on French vs English Prepositions of Place

In English, prepositions like "at", "in", and "on" are used, but their usage does not always align directly with their French counterparts. For example, "à la maison" translates literally as "at the house", but in English we often say "at home" to express the same idea. Additionally, French distinguishes prepositions like dans (inside) and en (in, typically used with countries or regions), which need to be learned carefully as they do not always translate simply as "in".

Useful Expressions

  • à côté de – next to
  • entre – between
  • près de – near
  • loin de – far from

Practice understanding and using these spatial prepositions will greatly improve your ability to describe locations in French with clarity and precision.

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

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Donia Ben Salem

Applied Foreign Languages

Université de Lorraine

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Last Updated:

Thursday, 17/07/2025 07:37