Prepositions of place

Kurz erklärt

French prepositions of place show where a person or thing is. Common ones include sur (on), sous (under), dans (in), devant (in front of), derrière (behind), entre (between), and près de (near). They normally come before the noun or name that identifies the place. Choose the preposition according to the actual position: sur means on a surface, while dans means inside an enclosed space.

Bildung

subject + être/se trouver + preposition of place + noun or name

Verwendung

• Use sur for something resting on a surface.
• Use sous, devant, or derrière to describe a position relative to something else.
• Use dans for something inside a room, container, or other enclosed space.
• Use entre for a position in the middle of two people or things.

Beispiele

• Les clés sont sur la table. — The keys are on the table.
• Le chat est sous la chaise. — The cat is under the chair.
• Paul attend devant le cinéma. — Paul is waiting in front of the movie theater.
• La banque est entre le café et l’hôtel. — The bank is between the café and the hotel.

Typischer Fehler

❌ Paul attend en front du cinéma.

✅ Paul attend devant le cinéma.

Do not translate English “in front of” word for word. French normally uses the single preposition devant.

Merke

Use dans for being inside something and sur for being on its surface. English “in front of” is usually French devant.