Prepositions link words to other words to form a meaningful sentence. In French, there are many prepositions. Each one of them has a specific use. Some of them have multiple uses. In this chapter, we will study the most common prepositions like “dans”, “pour”, “en”, etc... This lesson will be devoted to the prepositions and their forms “au”, “aux”.
“à” is a very common preposition. It has three forms: à, au, and aux. We use “à” when the noun that follows it is singular feminine, preceded by the definite article “la”.
J’ai trouvé un livre très intéressant à la bibliothèque.
I found a very interesting book at the library.
J’ai un rendez-vous important à la banque.
I have an important appointment at the bank.
We use “au” when the noun that follows it is singular masculine.
Nous avons passé toute la journée au musée.
We spent the whole day at the museum.
Il fait ses courses au supermarché.
He does his grocery shopping at the supermarket.
Exceptions: When a noun ( masculine or feminine) following the preposition “à” starts with a vowel or a mute “h”, then “ à l’ ” is used.
Je vais le rejoindre à l’hôtel.
I will meet him at the hotel.
Il donne beaucoup d’argent à l’Association des Anciens Combattants.
He donates a lot of money to the Veterans Association.
We use “aux” when the noun that follows it is plural masculine or plural feminine.
La fille aux cheveux blonds te ressemble beaucoup.
The girl with blond hair looks a lot like you.
Il va se porter candidat aux prochaines elections.
He will run for office in the next elections.
Remember:
A. Don’t confuse the preposition “à” with “a”, which is a conjugated form of the verb “avoir”. The preposition is written with an accent grave on the top. The verb or auxiliary “a” from “avoir” doesn’t have an accent grave on the top.
Je vis à Paris.
I live in Paris.
Il a une belle maison.
He has a nice house.
B. We never say: à le
For example:
Je suis allée voir le matchà le (incorrect) Stade de France.
Je suis allée voir le match au (correct) Stade de France.
I went to see the game at the Stade de France.
C. We never say: “au ce” or “au cet” even if the noun that follows “ce” and “cet” is masculine. We say “à ce” or “à cet”.
We never say: “aux ceux” or “aux ces” or “aux ses” even if the noun that follows “ces”, “ses” and “ceux” is plural. We say “à ces” , “à ses”, “à ceux”.
For example:
J’ai demandé à cet homme de se calmer.
I asked this man to calm down.
Il a dit à ses parents qu’il ne voulait plus les voir.
He said to his parents that he didn’t want to see them anymore.
The Preposition “à”
“à” is a very common preposition. It has three forms: à, au, and aux. We use “à” when the noun that follows it is singular feminine, preceded by the definite article “la”.
J’ai trouvé un livre très intéressant à la bibliothèque.
I found a very interesting book at the library.
J’ai un rendez-vous important à la banque.
I have an important appointment at the bank.
We use “au” when the noun that follows it is singular masculine.
Nous avons passé toute la journée au musée.
We spent the whole day at the museum.
Il fait ses courses au supermarché.
He does his grocery shopping at the supermarket.
Exceptions: When a noun ( masculine or feminine) following the preposition “à” starts with a vowel or a mute “h”, then “ à l’ ” is used.
Je vais le rejoindre à l’hôtel.
I will meet him at the hotel.
Il donne beaucoup d’argent à l’Association des Anciens Combattants.
He donates a lot of money to the Veterans Association.
We use “aux” when the noun that follows it is plural masculine or plural feminine.
La fille aux cheveux blonds te ressemble beaucoup.
The girl with blond hair looks a lot like you.
Il va se porter candidat aux prochaines elections.
He will run for office in the next elections.
Different uses of the preposition “à”
| Use | Examples |
| Place | Il habite à Paris. He lives in Paris. Nous sommes allés au Maroc le mois passé. We went to Morocco last month. J’ai acheté mes boucles d’oreilles aux Antilles. I bought my earrings in the West Indies. |
| Hour or time (We always use “à” ) | Le cours commence à 8:30 du matin. The lesson starts at 8:30 am. Nous sommes sortis à l’aube. We left at dawn. |
| To whom something belongs | Ces lunettes sont à moi. These glasses are mine. Ce livre appartient à Yves. This book belongs to Yves. C’est aux parents de décider. It’s up to the parents to decide. Le vélo n’appartient pas au garçon. Il appartient à la fille.This bicycle doesn’t belong to the boy. It belongs to the girl. |
| What an object contains or what it is used for (we always use “à” whether the following word is a masculine noun, a feminine noun or a verb) | une cuillère à café - a teaspoon un bac à sable - a sand box une chambre à coucher - a bedroom |
| Price (We always use “à” whether the noun that follows is masculine or feminine) |
Une maison à un million de dollars. A million dollar house. Ils vendent des téléphones portables à 10 euros. They sell cellphones at 10 euros. |
Remember:
A. Don’t confuse the preposition “à” with “a”, which is a conjugated form of the verb “avoir”. The preposition is written with an accent grave on the top. The verb or auxiliary “a” from “avoir” doesn’t have an accent grave on the top.
Je vis à Paris.
I live in Paris.
Il a une belle maison.
He has a nice house.
B. We never say: à le
For example:
Je suis allée voir le match
Je suis allée voir le match au (correct) Stade de France.
I went to see the game at the Stade de France.
C. We never say: “au ce” or “au cet” even if the noun that follows “ce” and “cet” is masculine. We say “à ce” or “à cet”.
We never say: “aux ceux” or “aux ces” or “aux ses” even if the noun that follows “ces”, “ses” and “ceux” is plural. We say “à ces” , “à ses”, “à ceux”.
For example:
J’ai demandé à cet homme de se calmer.
I asked this man to calm down.
Il a dit à ses parents qu’il ne voulait plus les voir.
He said to his parents that he didn’t want to see them anymore.