Ch 5 · Lesson 23French · Chapter 5 · Lesson 23 · Grammar primer
En voiture, à pied, chez moi
for a car or a train, à for your feet or a bike; (it took two hours) against (two hours from now); and for someone's place.
The short version
, but à
.
Why?Hide
Transport you ride inside takes : , , . Your feet, and anything you sit astride, take à: à , à , à . Neither takes an article, so means inside one particular car, not by car.
en or dans
Both translate as in, but they cover different ground. goes straight before the noun with no article; takes one and means inside something specific:
| en | dans |
|---|---|
France | |
| |
| |
With time, the split changes the meaning completely:
.- I finished in two hours. (it took two hours).- I'm leaving in two hours. (two hours from now)
en voiture, à pied: transport
Vehicles you ride inside take ; your feet and things you sit astride take . Neither takes an article:
| en (inside) | à (on top) |
|---|---|
| |
| |
| |
| |
.- I go to work by car..- I walk to school.
You will hear all the time, in speech and in print, but is the form recommend. means physically inside one particular car: . (The cat is in the car.)
chez
means "at the place of" a person: their home, or their shop or surgery. English needs several words for it; French needs one.
.- I'm at home.Marie.- I'm having dinner at Marie's..- I'm going to the doctor's.
always takes a person, a name or a pronoun, never a building. A building takes :
.- I'm going to the hospital..- I'm going to the doctor's.
Going further: The core prepositions and the rest of the guide, when you want them. This lesson does not need them.
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