A2 · Elementary Chapter 39

Prepositions: Place, Time & Direction

8 Total Rules
85 examples
1 min
Rules in This Chapter Quick Practice

Chapter in 30 Seconds

Master the art of navigating space and time in French with confidence.

  • Connect locations and people using contractions
  • Describe your travel and residence using country prepositions
  • Express duration and past time with precision
Connect your world, define your time.

What You'll Learn

Prepositions with countries, contractions, depuis/pendant, chez.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this chapter, you will be able to:

  1. 1
    By the end you will be able to: Use 'à' and 'de' contractions to describe locations and origins.
  2. 2
    By the end you will be able to: Differentiate between duration and starting points using depuis, pendant, and dans.

Key Examples (8)

1

Je vais au supermarché pour acheter des snacks.

I am going to the supermarket to buy some snacks.

French Contractions with 'à' (au, aux)
2

On se retrouve à la plage à 15h ?

Shall we meet at the beach at 3 PM?

French Contractions with 'à' (au, aux)
3

J'habite à Lyon depuis trois ans.

I have been living in Lyon for three years.

French Preposition 'Depuis': Since vs For
4

Elle t'attend depuis une heure !

She has been waiting for you for an hour!

French Preposition 'Depuis': Since vs For
5

Je vais **au** supermarché pour acheter **du** lait.

I'm going to the supermarket to buy some milk.

French Prepositions: À vs De (To, At, Of, From)
6

Tu as vu la photo **de** son nouveau chien sur Insta ?

Did you see the photo of his new dog on Insta?

French Prepositions: À vs De (To, At, Of, From)
7

J'habite en France depuis deux ans.

I have lived in France for two years.

Prepositions with Countries (en, au, aux)
8

Tu vas au Japon pour les vacances ?

Are you going to Japan for the holidays?

Prepositions with Countries (en, au, aux)

Tips & Tricks (4)

💡

Check the Noun

Always identify the gender and number of the noun first.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Contractions with 'à' (au, aux)
🎯

The 'Still True' Test

If you can add '...and I still am' to the end of your sentence in English, you must use depuis and the Present Tense in French.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Preposition 'Depuis': Since vs For
💡

The 'au' rule

Always remember that 'à' + 'le' becomes 'au'. It is the most common mistake.
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Prepositions: À vs De (To, At, Of, From)
🎯

The -e Rule

99% of countries ending in -e are feminine. Learn the 'Rebel Six' (Mexique, Cambodge, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Belize, Suriname) and you're set!
frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Prepositions with Countries (en, au, aux)

Key Vocabulary (5)

chez at the home of depuis since/for pays country pendant during/for voyage trip

Real-World Preview

plane

Planning a Trip

Review Summary

  • à + le = au / à + les = aux
  • de + le = du / de + les = des

Common Mistakes

In French, 'à + le' must contract to 'au'. You cannot keep them separate.

Wrong: Je vais à le parc.
Correct: Je vais au parc.

Countries that are masculine use 'au'. 'En' is only for feminine countries or those starting with a vowel.

Wrong: J'habite en le Canada.
Correct: J'habite au Canada.

Use 'depuis' for actions that started in the past and are still continuing.

Wrong: J'étudie français pendant trois ans.
Correct: J'étudie le français depuis trois ans.

Rules in This Chapter (8)

1

French Contractions with 'à' (au, aux)

A2
Always merge à with le or les to ensure smooth, natural French flow and avoid beginner mistakes.
Je vais au supermarché pour acheter des snacks.
11 examples
2

French Preposition 'Depuis': Since vs For

A2
Use depuis with the present tense to describe anything you started in the past but are still doing.
J'habite à Lyon depuis trois ans.
10 examples
3

French Prepositions: À vs De (To, At, Of, From)

A2
Think of à as a destination (Going To) and de as an origin (Coming From).
Je vais **au** supermarché pour acheter **du** lai...
10 examples
4

Prepositions with Countries (en, au, aux)

A2
Determine country gender and starting letter to choose between en, au, or aux for location and movement.
J'habite en France depuis deux ans.
10 examples
5

French Time Prepositions: When vs. Duration (Dans / En)

A2
Distinguish between the future starting point (dans) and the duration of an activity (en) to avoid confusion.
Le train part dans dix minutes.
10 examples
6

French Time Expressions: Ago vs. Since/For (Il y a vs. Depuis)

A2
Use il y a for completed past events and depuis for actions that started in the past and continue today.
J'ai acheté ce téléphone il y a deux mois.
10 examples
7

French Contractions with De: du, des

A2
Always smash de with le and les to avoid clunky, non-native sounding French sentences.
I would like some chicken and some fries, please.
12 examples
8

Using 'Chez' (At Someone's Place)

A2
Use chez when the destination is a person, not a building, to sound natural and fluent.
Tu viens chez moi ce soir ?
12 examples

Next Steps

You've conquered the world of prepositions! Take a break, you've earned it.

Write 5 sentences about your daily routine using depuis.

Continue to: Partitive Articles & Quantities

Quick Practice (10)

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Il va à le parc.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Il va au parc.
Contraction needed.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Prepositions: À vs De (To, At, Of, From)

Fill in the blank.

J'habite ici ___ deux ans.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: depuis
Ongoing action requires depuis.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Preposition 'Depuis': Since vs For

Fill in the blank.

Je vais ___ cinéma.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: au
À + le = au.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Prepositions: À vs De (To, At, Of, From)

Fix the sentence.

Find and fix the mistake:

Je vais à Canada.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je vais au Canada.
Canada is masculine.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Prepositions with Countries (en, au, aux)

Fill in the blank.

Je reviens ___ dix minutes.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: dans
Future start.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Time Prepositions: When vs. Duration (Dans / En)

Choose the correct form.

C'est la voiture ___ (de + les) voisins.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: des
de + les = des.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Contractions with De: du, des

Correct the error.

Find and fix the mistake:

Je suis à moi.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Je suis chez moi.
Use chez for home.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Using 'Chez' (At Someone's Place)

Select the correct preposition.

J'habite ___ Japon.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: au
Japan is masculine.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Prepositions with Countries (en, au, aux)

Fill in the blank with 'Il y a' or 'Depuis'.

Je t'attends ___ 10 minutes.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: Depuis
Ongoing action.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: French Time Expressions: Ago vs. Since/For (Il y a vs. Depuis)

Select the correct preposition.

Elle va ___ Pays-Bas.

✓ Correct! ✗ Not quite. Correct answer: aux
Plural.

frontend.learn_grammar.from_rule: Prepositions with Countries (en, au, aux)

Score: /10

Common Questions (6)

To make the language flow better and avoid awkward sounds.
Mostly, but also for indirect objects.
No, only if the action is finished, but then you should use 'pendant'. 'Depuis' implies continuity.
'Depuis' is for ongoing actions, 'pendant' is for completed ones.
French hates the sound of 'à le'. It evolved into 'au' for easier pronunciation.
No, 'de' is strictly for origin or possession. Use 'à' for destination.
Previous Chapter
Pronouns: Y, EN & Relative Basics
Next Chapter
Partitive Articles & Quantities
Back to Roadmap