Après vs Derrière
French Prepositions
Lesson | Test
There is often confusion between the prepositions après and derrière (and their opposites avant and devant).
| Après expresses something to do with time or sequence and means after. It can be used in front of a temporal expression, noun, pronoun, verb, or clause. | ||
| après 3h00 | after 3:00 | |
| après la semaine prochaine | after next week | |
| après le cours | after the class | |
| après toi | after you | |
| après avoir mangé (past infinitive) | after eating | |
| après qu'il le fera (why future?) | after he does it | |
| Derrière expresses position or location (literal or figurative) and means behind. It can be used only in front of a noun or pronoun. | ||
| derrière la maison | behind the house | |
| derrière la porte | behind the door | |
| chercher derrière les apparences | look behind (beyond) appearances | |
| derrière son dos | behind one's back | |
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