French Prepositions

*À vs De*

*French prepositions*

The French prepositions à and de cause constant problems for French students. 

Generally speaking,

 *à means→ to, at, or in,*

while 

*de means →of or from.* 

Both prepositions have numerous uses -

★★★ *À Vs De* ★★★

*1. ● à is used for Location or destination*

→ *Je vais à Rome*

I'm going to Rome

→ *Je suis à la banque*

  I'm at the bank

Whereas

● *de is used for Starting point or origin*

→ *partir de Nice*

 to leave from (out of) Nice

→ *Je suis de Bruxelles* I'm from Brussels

*2. ● Distance in time or space (note that à is used in front of the distance, while de indicates the starting point/origin)*

→ *Il habite à 10 mètres...*

He lives 10 meters...  

→ *C'est à 5 minutes...*

 It's 5 minutes...

→ *...de moi* ...from me

→ *...d'ici*       ...from here

*3. À is used for Purpose or use*

→ *une tasse à thé*

teacup (cup for tea)

→ *une boîte à allumettes* matchbox (box for matches)

→ *un sac à dos*

backpack (pack for the back)

● *de is used for Contents / description*

→ *une tasse de thé*

cup of tea

→ *une boîte d'allumettes*

box (full) of matches

→ *un roman d'amour*  

      love story (story about    love)

*4.  À is used for Manner, style, or characteristic*

→ *fait à la main*  

     made by hand

→ *Il habite à la française*

He lives in the French  style

→ *un enfant aux yeux bleus*

blue-eyed child

*● de is used for Defining feature*

→ *le marché de gros*

wholesale market

→ *une salle de classe*

       classroom

→ *un livre d'histoire*

history book

*5.  À is used for Defining ingredient*

_Use à when the food is made with something that can be taken away without destroying it - as a general rule, you can translate it as "with." If you take out the ham or onion, you still have a sandwich or soup_

→ *un sandwich au jambon*

ham sandwich

→ *la soupe à l'oignon*

onion soup

→ *une tarte aux   pommes*

apple pie

● *de is used for indispensible ingredient*

_Use de when the food is made primarily of something - generally speaking, you can translate it as "of" or "from." If you take away the blackcurrants or tomatoes, you're left with not much at all._

→ *la crème de cassis*

blackcurrant liqueur

→ *la soupe de tomates*

tomato soup

→ *le jus d'orange*

orange juice

*6. À is used for Impersonal expressions: Real subject*  

→ *C'est bon à savoir.*

That's good to know.  

→ *C'est facile à faire.*

      That's easy to do.

*● de is used for Impersonal expressions: Dummy subject*

→ *Il est bon d'étudier.*

It's good to study. (Studying is good)

→ *Il est facile de le trouver.*

It's easy to find it. (Finding it is easy)

*some Additional uses of à*

  

*Measurement*

→ *acheter au kilo*

to buy by the kilogram

→ *payer à la semaine*

to pay by the week

  

*Point in time*

→ *Nous arrivons à 5h00*

     We arrive at 5h00

→ *Il est mort à 92 ans*

 He died at the age of 92

★ *some additional uses of de*

*cause*

→ *mourir de faim*

to die of / from hunger

→ *fatigué du voyage*

tired from the trip

*Means / manner of doing something*

→ *écrire de la main gauche*

to write with the left hand

→ *répéter de mémoire*

     to recite from memory

*#pawanrss*