Mastering Prepositions of Place in French
Learn how to describe exactly where things are located. From simple positions to complex destinations, mastering these prepositions is key to fluid conversation. Practice this with PrepMyFrench exercises to lock in your knowledge!
Basic Spatial Relations
On / Upon
Le chat est sur la table.
Under
Le livre est sous la chaise.
In / Inside
Le stylo est dans le sac.
In front of
La voiture est devant la maison.
Behind
Le jardin est derrière l'école.
Between
Je suis entre Marie et Paul.
The Unique 'Chez'
Unlike English, French uses chez to mean 'at the home of' or 'at the office of'. It is a versatile preposition that replaces 'à la maison de'. Check the PrepMyFrench verb conjugator to see how to pair this with movement verbs!
Navigating Destinations
Cities
àFeminine Countries
enMasculine Countries
auPlural Countries
auxCompound Prepositional Phrases
à côté de
Next toUsed for immediate proximity. Example: à côté du cinéma.
en face de
Across fromUsed when something is facing another object. Example: en face de la banque.
à gauche de
To the left ofSpecifying direction. Example: à gauche de l'entrée.
à droite de
To the right ofSpecifying direction. Example: à droite du parc.
Island Geography Tip
When talking about islands, it depends on the size! For large islands or those acting as countries, use en (e.g., en Islande). For smaller islands, use à (e.g., à Madagascar), or aux for groups of islands. Explore more geographical terms in our grammar section.