À
French preposition
À is a very important French preposition, despite its tiny size. Its many different meanings and uses in French include all of the following.
| I. | Location or destination (learn more) | |
| J'habite à Paris Je vais à Rome Je suis à la banque |
I live in Paris I'm going to Rome I'm at the bank |
|
| II. | Distance in time or space | |
| J'habite à 10 mètres de lui Il est à 5 minutes de moi |
I live 10 meters from him He is 5 minutes from me |
|
| III. | Point in time | |
| Nous arrivons à 5h00 Il est mort à 92 ans |
We arrive at 5:00 He died at the age of 92 |
|
| IV. | Manner, style, or characteristic | |
| Il habite à la française un enfant aux yeux bleus fait à la main aller à pied |
He lives in the French style blue-eyed child / child with blue eyes made by hand to go on / by foot |
|
| V. | Possession (learn more) | |
| un ami à moi Ce livre est à Jean |
a friend of mine This is Jean's book |
|
| VI. | Measurement | |
| acheter au kilo payer à la semaine |
to buy by the kilogram to pay by the week |
|
| VII. | Purpose or use | |
| une tasse à thé un sac à dos |
teacup / cup for tea backpack / pack for the back |
|
| VIII. | In the passive infinitive | |
| À louer | for rent | |
| Je n'ai rien à lire | I have nothing to read | |
When followed by
the definite articles le and
les, à contracts with them into a single word:
| For example | |||
| à + le | = | au | au magasin |
| à + les | = | aux | aux maisons |
| But... | |||
| à + la | à la | à la banque | |
| à + l' | à l' | à l'hôpital | |
À does not contract with le and les when they are direct objects.
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