Across vs. Through : Quelle est la différence ?
Across c'est pour les surfaces «2D», et through c'est quand tu passes à l'intérieur de quelque chose «3D».
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'across' for flat surfaces and 'through' for three-dimensional spaces or volumes.
- Use 'across' for 2D surfaces like roads or bridges: 'I ran across the street.'
- Use 'through' for 3D spaces like tunnels or forests: 'I walked through the woods.'
- Use 'across' for the other side: 'He lives across the river.'
Overview
across et through en plein milieu d’une phrase. Ne t’inquiète pas, c’est tout à fait normal.across et through.across et through, il faut oublier un instant la traduction littérale et penser en termes de géométrie. Oui, je sais, on est là pour l’anglais, pas pour les maths, mais promis, c’est simple.across, tu indiques un mouvement d’un bord à l’autre de cette surface. C’est un mouvement horizontal, sur un plan.I walked across the street.(Je suis passé d'un trottoir à l'autre). Ici, la rue est vue comme une surface plane que tu franchis.He swam across the lake.(Il a traversé le lac à la nage). On voit ici l'étendue d'eau comme une surface à parcourir.
Through exprime un mouvement qui entre dans un volume et qui en ressort de l’autre côté. C’est l’idée de passer « au milieu de » ou « par l’intérieur de ».through.We drove through the tunnel.(Nous avons traversé le tunnel). Tu es à l'intérieur d'une structure fermée.The bird flew through the open window.(L'oiseau est passé par la fenêtre ouverte). Il entre par un espace et ressort de l'autre côté.
Sujet + Verbe de mouvement + Preposition (Across/Through) + Complément (Lieu)across | She ran across the field. | Elle a traversé le champ (d'un bord à l'autre). |through | She ran through the forest. | Elle a traversé la forêt (en passant entre les arbres). |through | The cat went through the door. | Le chat est passé par la porte. |across | The bridge goes across the river. | Le pont enjambe la rivière (d'une rive à l'autre). |look (regarder) ou see (voir).I looked across the room.(J'ai regardé de l'autre côté de la pièce — espace ouvert).I looked through the telescope.(J'ai regardé à travers le télescope — passage par l'intérieur).
across pour les surfaces et les limitesBe careful when you walk across the road. (Fais attention quand tu traverses la route).They sailed across the Atlantic. (Ils ont traversé l'Atlantique en voilier).Across peut aussi signifier « de l'autre côté » sans mouvement.My office is across the hallway. (Mon bureau est de l'autre côté du couloir).He spread the map across the table. (Il a étalé la carte sur toute la table).through pour les environnements immersifsThe path leads through the castle. (Le chemin passe à travers le château).We had to hike through the tall grass. (On a dû marcher à travers les hautes herbes).I can see you through the glass. (Je peux te voir à travers la vitre).I pushed my way through the crowd. (Je me suis frayé un chemin à travers la foule).Through pour la durée : On utilise through pour dire qu'on a vécu une période du début à la fin, souvent quand c'est difficile.She slept through the entire movie. (Elle a dormi pendant tout le film — du début à la fin).We got through the crisis. (Nous avons surmonté la crise — nous l'avons traversée).Across pour la distribution : On utilise across pour dire que quelque chose touche tout un groupe ou une zone.This trend is popular across all age groups. (Cette tendance est populaire dans toutes les tranches d'âge).I walked across the bridge. Un pont est une surface plane qui relie deux points. Tu n'es pas enfermé dedans (sauf si c'est un pont couvert très spécifique, mais c'est rare !).The news spread across the country. On imagine le pays comme une carte, une surface sur laquelle l'information se répand.through pour une rueacross the street. Si tu marches le long de la rue en restant au milieu, tu peux dire I walked down the street ou through the street (si elle est très encombrée), mais pour la traverser, c'est toujours across.across et through avec d'autres petits mots qui leur ressemblent.across/through |Over implique souvent de ne pas toucher la surface (sauter au-dessus), alors qu'across implique de rester sur la surface. |Along signifie que tu suis le bord (parallèle), alors qu'across signifie que tu coupes la ligne (perpendiculaire). |Past signifie que tu dépasses un point sans y entrer, alors que through signifie que tu entres et sors. |- Si tu marches
across the café, tu vas de l'entrée jusqu'au comptoir en traversant la salle. - Si tu marches
through the café, c'est peut-être parce qu'il y a deux portes et que tu l'utilises comme raccourci pour passer d'une rue à l'autre. - Si tu marches
past the café, tu restes sur le trottoir et tu ne rentres pas prendre ton petit noir !
The bridge goes across the river (accent sur la largeur) ou The bridge goes over the river (accent sur le fait qu'il est au-dessus de l'eau). Across est plus courant pour le mouvement de traversée.To come across signifie « tomber sur » ou « rencontrer par hasard ». Ici, on ne parle plus vraiment d'espace physique, c'est une expression idiomatique à apprendre par cœur !I heard the news through Julie. Ça veut dire que Julie a été l'intermédiaire, le canal par lequel l'information est arrivée jusqu'à toi. C'est le même principe que passer « par » un tunnel.Usage with Common Verbs
| Verb | With 'Across' (Surface) | With 'Through' (Volume) |
|---|---|---|
|
Walk
|
Walk across the bridge
|
Walk through the forest
|
|
Run
|
Run across the track
|
Run through the tunnel
|
|
Drive
|
Drive across the border
|
Drive through the city
|
|
Swim
|
Swim across the lake
|
Swim through the reeds
|
|
Look
|
Look across the valley
|
Look through the telescope
|
|
Cut
|
Cut across the grass
|
Cut through the meat
|
|
Fly
|
Fly across the ocean
|
Fly through the clouds
|
|
Pass
|
Pass across the screen
|
Pass through the gate
|
Meanings
These prepositions describe movement from one side of something to the other, but they differ based on the geometry of the object being crossed.
Across: Surface Movement
Movement from one side to the other of a flat area, surface, or line.
“The cat ran across the lawn.”
“They are building a new bridge across the bay.”
Through: Volume Movement
Movement from one side to the other within a three-dimensional space, often surrounded by things.
“The train went through the tunnel.”
“Water flows through the pipes.”
Across: Position
On the opposite side of something.
“The pharmacy is just across the road.”
“She sat across from me at dinner.”
Through: Time and Process
From the beginning to the end of a period or a series of actions.
“He slept through the entire movie.”
“I read through the contract carefully.”
Reference Table
| Concept | Across | Through |
|---|---|---|
|
Dimension
|
2D (Surface)
|
3D (Volume/Intérieur)
|
|
Sens Principal
|
D'un côté à l'autre (sur la surface)
|
Entrer d'un côté et sortir de l'autre (à l'intérieur)
|
|
Exemple d'Espace
|
Route, rivière, champ, page
|
Tunnel, forêt, foule, fenêtre
|
|
Exemple de Verbe
|
Swim `across` the lake
|
Drive `through` the tunnel
|
|
Indice Visuel
|
Une ligne sur une carte
|
Un chemin à l'intérieur d'un labyrinthe
|
|
Usage Métaphorique
|
Pas courant
|
Terminer un processus (`get through an exam`)
|
Spectre de formalité
The pedestrians traversed across the municipal park. (Daily life)
They walked across the park. (Daily life)
They cut across the park. (Daily life)
They headed across the park. (Daily life)
Across vs. Through en un coup d'œil
Choisir entre Across et Through
Te déplaces-tu d'un côté à l'autre SUR une SURFACE ?
Te déplaces-tu À L'INTÉRIEUR d'un espace clos ou d'un volume ?
Où les utilises-tu ?
À utiliser avec ACROSS
- • the street
- • the page
- • the desert
- • the board
À utiliser avec THROUGH
- • the woods
- • the pipe
- • the rain
- • the doorway
Comprendre Across & Through
Sur une Surface (2D)
- ACROSS Walk across the street
À l'intérieur d'un Espace (3D)
- THROUGH Drive through a tunnel
Métaphorique
- THROUGH Get through an exam
Exemples par niveau
I walk across the road.
The cat goes through the window.
He lives across the street.
We go through the park.
She ran across the bridge to catch the bus.
The bird flew through the open door.
They walked across the big field.
I can't see through these dirty glasses.
We sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in three weeks.
The sunlight shone through the leaves of the trees.
I found this old photo while looking through a drawer.
News of the accident spread quickly across the town.
The company has offices scattered across the country.
He managed to get through the exam despite being ill.
The bullet passed through the wooden plank.
She stared across the room at her rival.
The virus spread across the population with alarming speed.
I've been through a lot of emotional turmoil lately.
The architect designed a path that cuts across the courtyard.
He spoke through an interpreter during the summit.
The theme of redemption resonates across his entire body of work.
We must see this initiative through to its logical conclusion.
The signal was transmitted across a series of relay stations.
She navigated through the labyrinthine bureaucracy of the ministry.
Facile à confondre
Both can mean moving to the other side of a road or river.
Learners use 'through' when they mean following a path.
Learners forget the 'from' when describing location.
Erreurs courantes
I go across the door.
I go through the door.
The car goes through the bridge.
The car goes across the bridge.
I walk through the street.
I walk across the street.
He is through the room.
He is across the room.
We walked across the woods.
We walked through the woods.
The bird flew across the window.
The bird flew through the window.
I looked across the keyhole.
I looked through the keyhole.
I slept across the meeting.
I slept through the meeting.
The news went through the country.
The news went across the country.
He pushed across the crowd.
He pushed through the crowd.
The idea spread through the board.
The idea spread across the board.
Structures de phrases
I walked across the ___.
The train went through the ___.
It's located just across from the ___.
I've been looking through my ___ all morning.
Real World Usage
Drive across the bridge and then go through the tunnel.
I was scrolling through my Instagram feed.
I have worked with teams across different time zones.
We backpacked through Europe last summer.
Let's walk through the project requirements.
I'm halfway through the movie, call u later!
Visualise le Chemin
across. Tu traces un chemin À L'INTÉRIEUR (comme un ver dans une pomme) ? C'est through.Attention aux Forêts
through ces endroits.Maîtrise la Métaphore
through pour finir des tâches ou des expériences (par exemple, get through a tough time,
power through a meeting) montre que tu maîtrises bien la langue. Ça prouve que tu comprends l'idée d'un processus avec un début et une fin.
Idiomes et Expressions
To see through someoneveut dire que tu comprends les vraies intentions de quelqu'un, alors que
to come across asdécrit l'impression que tu donnes. Ces expressions ne suivent pas toujours la règle 2D/3D !
Smart Tips
Check if you are 'on top' of the thing (Across) or 'inside' the thing (Through).
Always use 'across from' if you are describing where a building is.
Use 'through' because you are moving from the first page to the last page (a volume of work).
Use 'across' to show distribution, like a blanket covering a bed.
Prononciation
Across Ending
The 'ss' in across is a voiceless /s/ sound. Do not add a 't' at the end (a common native-speaker error: 'acrosst').
Through Vowel
The 'ough' is pronounced like 'oo' in 'food'. The 'th' is the voiceless /θ/ as in 'think'.
Emphasis on Preposition
I didn't go OVER it, I went THROUGH it!
Used to correct a misunderstanding about the path taken.
Mémorise-le
Moyen mnémotechnique
Across is for an Area (flat); Through is for a Tunnel (3D).
Association visuelle
Imagine a flat sheet of paper. To get to the other side, you go 'across'. Now imagine a straw. To get to the other side, you must go 'through'.
Rhyme
Across the floor, through the door.
Story
A hiker wanted to reach a mountain. First, he walked across a flat desert (2D). Then, he had to hike through a thick, dark forest (3D). Finally, he swam across a wide river (2D) to reach the base.
Word Web
Défi
Look around your room. Identify one thing you can move 'across' (like a rug) and one thing you can move 'through' (like a doorway). Say the sentences out loud.
Notes culturelles
In the UK, 'across from' is often replaced by 'opposite'. For example, 'The pub is opposite the station.'
Americans almost exclusively use 'across from' for locations. 'The store is across from the mall.'
Similar to British English, but 'across' is frequently used in sports commentary to describe the movement of the ball over the field.
'Across' comes from the 13th-century Old French 'a croix', meaning 'in the form of a cross'. 'Through' comes from the Old English 'thurh', which has Proto-Germanic roots.
Amorces de conversation
Have you ever walked across a very long bridge?
What is the most beautiful forest you have ever walked through?
If you had to travel across the ocean, would you prefer a ship or a plane?
Tell me about a difficult time you've been through recently.
Sujets d'écriture
Erreurs courantes
Test Yourself
To get to the other side, you must walk ___ the bridge.
Select the most natural-sounding sentence:
Find and fix the mistake:
She read across the book in one night.
Score: /3
Exercices pratiques
8 exercisesThe hikers walked ___ the thick forest for three hours.
He drew a line ___ the middle of the page.
Find and fix the mistake:
The train passed across the tunnel at high speed.
1. Bridge, 2. Tunnel, 3. Crowd, 4. Desert
lives / she / the / street / across
We use 'through' for flat surfaces like a map.
A: How do I get to the bank? B: Just walk ___ the bridge and it's on your left.
1. A pipe, 2. A lake, 3. A window, 4. A field
Score: /8
Practice Bank
12 exercisesThe hikers made their way ___ the narrow canyon.
A snake was slithering ___ the grass.
Select the correct sentence:
The nail went across the piece of wood.
Translate this idea into English: 'The wind blew among the trees.'
Arrange these words:
Match the action to its most likely location:
I'm just looking ___ the window at the people walking by.
She's had to go across a lot of difficulties this year.
Arrange these words:
Which sentence suggests a more complete action?
Translate this idea into English: 'I drew a line on the paper, from one side to the other.'
Score: /12
FAQ (8)
Yes! If you feel like the park is a 3D space with trees and gates around you, `through` is very common. If you are just crossing it to get to the other side, `across` is also fine.
Yes, they are synonyms. `Across from` is more common in American English, while `opposite` is more common in British English.
This is a metaphorical use of `through` for time. We imagine time as a tunnel or a path that we are moving inside of from start to finish.
Yes. In the sentence 'The river is wide, I can't swim across,' `across` is an adverb because it doesn't have a noun following it.
It is an idiom meaning 'applying to everyone or everything in a group.' For example, 'The company gave a 5% raise across the board.'
Only if the bridge is enclosed (like a covered bridge or a tunnel-like structure). Otherwise, use `across`.
`Thru` is an informal, American spelling often used on road signs or in fast-food 'drive-thrus'. In formal writing, always use `through`.
`Throughout` is more emphatic and means 'in every part of' or 'during the whole time of'.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
a través de / por
English requires a choice based on 2D/3D, while Spanish often relies on the verb choice.
à travers / par
French speakers often struggle with 'across' as a preposition because they prefer the verb 'traverser'.
über / durch
German 'über' also means 'above', which can lead to confusion with 'over'.
を渡る (wo wataru) / を通る (wo tooru)
Japanese encodes the movement in the verb rather than just the preposition.
عبر (abra) / خلال (khilal)
Arabic 'abra' is more versatile and less strictly 2D/3D than English.
过 (guò) / 穿过 (chuānguò)
Chinese uses verb-complements to show the nature of the movement.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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