French Prepositions for Places: À, En, Au, and Dans

Understanding Place Prepositions

French uses specific prepositions to indicate location and movement. The choice depends on the place's gender, whether it's a city, country, or type of location.

À - Basic Location

Used for cities and specific places

Cities

1. "J'habite à Paris" (I live in Paris)

• Cities always use 'à', regardless of size

2. "Elle va à Londres" (She's going to London)

• Movement toward cities also uses 'à'

Specific Places

1. "Je suis à la banque" (I am at the bank)

• Used for specific establishments

2. "Il travaille à l'hôpital" (He works at the hospital)

• Used with definite articles

En - Countries and Regions

Used with feminine countries and regions

Feminine Countries

1. "J'habite en France" (I live in France)

• France is feminine, so uses 'en'

2. "Elle voyage en Italie" (She travels to Italy)

• Works for both location and movement

Regions

1. "Nous sommes en Bretagne" (We are in Brittany)

• French regions use 'en'

2. "Ils vivent en Normandie" (They live in Normandy)

• Applies to most geographical regions

Au/Aux - Masculine Countries

Au (singular) and aux (plural) for masculine countries

Masculine Countries

1. "Je vais au Portugal" (I'm going to Portugal)

• Portugal is masculine, uses 'au'

2. "Ils sont aux États-Unis" (They are in the United States)

• Plural countries use 'aux'

Dans - Inside Places

Used to specify being inside something

Indoor Locations

1. "Le livre est dans le sac" (The book is in the bag)

• Indicates something is inside

2. "Elle est dans sa chambre" (She is in her room)

• Used for enclosed spaces

Common Patterns to Remember

Buildings and Places

• à l'école (at school)
• au restaurant (at the restaurant)
• à la maison (at home)
• au cinéma (at the movies)

Countries and Continents

• en Asie (in Asia)
• au Canada (in Canada)
• aux Pays-Bas (in the Netherlands)
• en Allemagne (in Germany)

Important Tips

1. Check the gender of countries before choosing prepositions
2. Cities always use 'à'
3. Most feminine countries use 'en'
4. Masculine countries use 'au'
5. Plural countries use 'aux'

These rules are consistent but require attention to gender and type of location. Practice with places you commonly discuss.