Sunday, March 8, 2020

How to Use the French Preposition à

How to Use the French Preposition Despite its diminutive size,   is a hugely important French preposition and one of the most important words in the French language. Its meanings and uses in French are many and varied, but at its most basic,   generally  means to, at or in.  Compare   to de,  meaning of or from, with which its often confused.   Contractions When  Ã‚  is followed by the  definite articles  le  and  les,  Ã‚  contracts  with themas a single word. le  Ã‚  au (au magasin)   Ã‚  les   aux  (aux maisons) But  Ã‚  does not contract with  la  or  l.   Ã‚  la  Ã‚   la ( la banque) l  Ã‚   l ( lhà ´pital) In addition,  Ã‚  is not contracted with  le  and  les  when they are  direct objects. Common Uses of 1.  Location or destination Jhabite Paris.  Ã‚  I live in Paris.Je vais Rome.  Ã‚  Im going to Rome.Je suis la banque.  Ã‚  Im at the bank. 2.  Distance in time or space Jhabite 10 mà ¨tres de lui.  Ã‚  I live 10 meters from him.Il est 5 minutes de moi.  Ã‚  He is 5 minutes from me. 3.  Point in time Nous arrivons 5h00.  Ã‚  We arrive at 5:00.Il est mort 92 ans.  Ã‚  He died at the age of 92. 4.  Manner, style, or characteristic Il habite la franà §aise.  Ã‚  He lives in the French style.un enfant aux yeux bleus  Ã‚  blue-eyed child; child with blue eyesfait la main  Ã‚  made by handaller pied  Ã‚  to go on / by foot 5. Possession un ami moi  Ã‚  a friend of mineCe livre est Jean  Ã‚  This is Jeans book 6.  Measurement acheter au kilo  Ã‚  to buy by the kilogrampayer la semaine  Ã‚  to pay by the week 7. Purpose or use une tasse thà ©Ã‚  Ã‚  teacup; cup for teaun sac dos  Ã‚  backpack; pack for the back 8. In the passive infinitive louer  Ã‚  for rentJe nai rien lire.  Ã‚  I have nothing to read.                                     9. With Certain Verbs, Phrases Followed by an Infinitive The French preposition is required after certain verbs and phrases when they are followed by an infinitive. The English translation may take an infinitive (to learn how to do something) or a gerund (to stop eating).      aider   Ã‚  to help to   Ã‚  Ã‚  samuser   Ã‚  to amuse oneself ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  apprendre   Ã‚  to learn how to  Ã‚  Ã‚  sapprà ªter   Ã‚  to get ready to  Ã‚  Ã‚  arriver   Ã‚  to manage / succeed in ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  sattendre   Ã‚  to expect to  Ã‚  Ã‚  sautoriser   Ã‚  to authorize / allow to  Ã‚  Ã‚  avoir   Ã‚  to have to / be obliged to  Ã‚  Ã‚  chercher   Ã‚  to attempt to  Ã‚  Ã‚  commencer   Ã‚  to begin to / ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  consentir   Ã‚  to consent to  Ã‚  Ã‚  continuer   Ã‚  to continue to / ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  dà ©cider (quelquun)   Ã‚  to persuade (someone) to  Ã‚  Ã‚  se dà ©cider   Ã‚  to make up ones mind to  Ã‚  Ã‚  encourager   Ã‚  to encourage to   Ã‚  Ã‚  sengager   Ã‚  to get around to  Ã‚  Ã‚  enseigner   Ã‚  to teach to  Ã‚  Ã‚  shabituer   Ã‚  to get used to  Ã‚  Ã‚  hà ©siter   Ã‚  to hesitate to  Ã‚  Ã‚  sintà ©resser   Ã‚  to be interested in  Ã‚  Ã‚  inviter (qu elquun)   Ã‚  to invite (someone) to  Ã‚  Ã‚  se mettre   Ã‚  to start, set about ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  obliger   Ã‚  to oblige to  Ã‚  Ã‚  parvenir   Ã‚  to succeed in ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  passer du temps   Ã‚  Ã‚  to spend time ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  perdre du temps   Ã‚  to waste time ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  persister   Ã‚  to persist in ___-ing      se plaire   Ã‚  to take pleasure in ___-ing   Ã‚  Ã‚  pousser (quelquun)   Ã‚  to urge/push (someone) to   Ã‚  Ã‚  se prà ©parer   Ã‚  to prepare oneself to   Ã‚  Ã‚  recommencer   Ã‚  to begin ___-ing again  Ã‚  Ã‚  rà ©flà ©chir   Ã‚  to consider ___-ing   Ã‚  Ã‚  renoncer   Ã‚  to give up ___-ing   Ã‚  Ã‚  rà ©sister   Ã‚  to resist ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  rà ©ussir   Ã‚  to succeed in ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  rà ªver   Ã‚  to dream of ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  servir   Ã‚  to serve to  Ã‚  Ã‚  songer   Ã‚  to dream of ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  tarder   Ã‚  to delay / be late in ___-ing   Ã‚  Ã‚  tenir   Ã‚  to hold (someone) to / insist on ___-ing  Ã‚  Ã‚  venir   Ã‚  to happen to 10. With Verbs That Need an Indirect Object   The French preposition is required after many French verbs and phrases that need an indirect object, but there is often no equivalent preposition in English.   Ã‚  Ã‚        acheter   Ã‚  to buy from   Ã‚  Ã‚  arracher   Ã‚  Ã‚  to grab, tear away from  Ã‚  Ã‚  assister (la rà ©union)  Ã‚  to attend (the meeting)   Ã‚  Ã‚  conseiller   Ã‚  to advise   Ã‚  Ã‚  convenir (quelquun) / la situation  Ã‚  to please; to be suitable for someone / the situation  Ã‚  Ã‚  croire   Ã‚  to believe something  Ã‚  Ã‚  demander (quelque chose) (quelquun)  Ã‚  to ask someone (something)  Ã‚  Ã‚  dà ©fendre   Ã‚  to forbid   Ã‚  Ã‚  demander (quelquun)  Ã‚  to ask (someone) to   Ã‚  Ã‚  dà ©plaire   Ã‚  to displease; to be displeasing to  Ã‚  Ã‚  dà ©sobà ©ir   Ã‚  to disobey   Ã‚  Ã‚  dire   Ã‚  to say; to tell  Ã‚  Ã‚  donner un stylo (quelquun)  Ã‚  to give (someone) a pen  Ã‚  Ã‚  emprunter un livre (quelquun)  Ã‚  to borrow a book from (someone)  Ã‚  Ã‚  envoyer (qqch) (quelquun)  Ã‚  to send (something) to (someone)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒ ªtre   Ã‚  to belong to  Ã‚  Ã‚  faire attention   Ã ‚  to pay attention to  Ã‚  Ã‚  se fier (quelquun)  Ã‚  to trust (someone)  Ã‚  Ã‚  goà »ter (quelque chose)  Ã‚  to taste (something)  Ã‚  Ã‚  shabituer   Ã‚  to get used to  Ã‚  Ã‚  interdire (quelque chose) quelquun  Ã‚  to forbid someone (something)  Ã‚  Ã‚  sintà ©resser   Ã‚  to be interested in   Ã‚  Ã‚  jouer   Ã‚  to play (a game or sport)  Ã‚  Ã‚  manquer   Ã‚  to miss someone  Ã‚  Ã‚  mà ªler   Ã‚  to mingle with; to join in  Ã‚  Ã‚  nuire   Ã‚  to harm  Ã‚  Ã‚  obà ©ir   Ã‚  to obey  Ã‚  Ã‚  sopposer   Ã‚  to oppose  Ã‚  Ã‚  ordonner   Ã‚  to order  Ã‚  Ã‚  pardonner   Ã‚  to pardon; to forgive  Ã‚  Ã‚  parler   Ã‚  to talk to  Ã‚  Ã‚  penser   Ã‚  to think of / about  Ã‚  Ã‚  permettre   Ã‚  to permit  Ã‚  Ã‚  plaire   Ã‚  to please; to be pleasing to  Ã‚  Ã‚  profiter   Ã‚  to benefit; to be profitable to  Ã‚  Ã‚  promettre   Ã‚  to promise  Ã‚  Ã‚  rà ©flà ©chir   Ã‚  to consider; to reflect upon  Ã‚  Ã‚  rà ©pondre   Ã‚  to answer  Ã‚  Ã‚  rà ©sister   Ã‚  to resist  Ã‚  Ã‚  ressembler   Ã‚  to resemble   Ã‚  Ã‚  rà ©ussir lexamen   to pass the test  Ã‚  Ã‚  serrer la main (quelquun)  Ã‚  to shake hands with someone  Ã‚  Ã‚  servir   Ã‚  to be used for / as  Ã‚  Ã‚  songe r   Ã‚  to dream; to think of  Ã‚  Ã‚  succà ©der   Ã‚  to succeed; to follow  Ã‚  Ã‚  survivre   Ã‚  to survive  Ã‚  Ã‚  tà ©là ©phoner   Ã‚  to call  Ã‚  Ã‚  voler (quelque chose) quelquun  Ã‚  to steal (something) from someone Notes Remember that plus an inanimate noun can be replaced by the adverbial pronoun y. For example, je my suis habituà ©Ã‚  Ã‚  I got used to it. plus a person can usually be replaced by an indirect object pronoun that is placed in front of the verb (e.g., Il me parle). However, a few verbs and expressions do not allow a preceding indirect object pronoun. Instead, they require that you keep the preposition after the verb and follow it with a stressed pronoun (e.g., Je pense toi). Additional Resources Passive infinitive:  a grammatical structure in which something other than a verb needs to be followed by  Ã‚   infinitive.

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