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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.

  

Verbs with à    Expressions with à    à vs de

Temporal Prepositions

More prepositions     French grammar

  

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