Avant vs Devant

French Prepositions

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Because they can both mean before, there is often confusion between the prepositions avant and devant (and their opposites après and derrière). But there's a big difference in the way they are used.

Avant expresses something to do with time. It can also be used with a physical location when you mean before [arriving at]. Avant can be used in front of a temporal expression, noun, pronoun, verb, or clause.
	avant midi	before noon
	avant l'examen	before the test
	Il est parti avant moi.	He left before me.
	Je me suis arrêté avant le carrefour.	I stopped before [arriving at] the intersection.
	avant de partir*	before leaving
	avant qu'il ne parte (why ne?)	before he leaves
	*In front of an infinitive, de must be added after avant.
Devant expresses position or location (figurative or literal) and means before or in front of. It can be used only in front of a noun or pronoun.
	devant la voiture	in front of the car
	devant les juges	before the judges
	devant le danger	faced with / in the face of danger
	Il est devant toi.	He's in front of you.

  

Avant vs Devant - Test

Après vs Derrière More prepositions     Confusing pairs Grammar Glossary     Grammar Lessons

  

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