Wednesday, March 4, 2020
Using the French Prepositions En and Dans
Using the French Prepositions 'En' and 'Dans' In French, the prepositions en and dans both mean in, and they both express time and location. They are not, however, interchangeable. Their usage depends on both meaning and grammar. How French Prepositions Work In French, prepositions are generally words that link two related parts of a sentence. They are usually placed in front of nouns or pronouns to indicate a relationship between that noun or pronoun and a verb, adjective or noun that precedes it. Im talking to Jean.Je parle  Jean.She is from Paris.Elle est de Paris.The book is for you. Le livre est pour toi. These small but powerful words not only show relationships between words, they also refine the meanings of place (cities, countries, islands, regions, and U.S. states) and time (as with pendant and durant); can follow adjectives and link them to the remainder of a sentence; can never end a sentence (as they can in English); can be difficult to translate into English and idiomatic; and can exist as a prepositional phrase, such as au-dessus de (above), au-dessous de (below), and au milieu de (in the middle of). Some prepositions are also used after certain verbs to complete their meaning, such as croire en (to believe in), parler  (to talk to) and parler de (to talk about). Plus, prepositional phrases can be replaced by the adverbial pronouns y and en. The following guidelines and examples delineate how and when to use two of the trickier French prepositions: en and dans. Notice how they link two related parts of each sentence. Examples of When to Use En in French En expresses the length of time an action happens. As a result, the verb is usually in the present or past tense, as in Je peux faire le lit en cinq minutes.I can make the bed in five minutes.Il a lu le livre en une heure. He read the book in an hour.Jai appris danser en un an. I learned how to dance in a year. En expresses when an action happens as it relates to the calendar: month, season, or year. Exception: au printemps. Nous voyageons en Avril. We travel in April.Il arrivera en hiver. He will arrive in the winter. En can mean in or to when followed directly by a noun that doesnt need an article: Vous allez en prison! Youre going to prison! Il est en classe. Hes in school. En can also mean in or to when used with some states, provinces, and countries, such as Jhabite en Californie.I live in California.Je vais en France. Im going to France. Examples of When to Use Dans Dans indicates the amount of time before action will occur. Note that the verb is usually in the present or future, as in Nous partons dans dix minutes.Were leaving in 10 minutes. Il reviendra dans une heure.Hell be back in an hour. Elle va commencer dans une semaine. Shes going to start in a week. Dans refers to something that occurs within or during a decade, as in Dans les annà ©es soixantes...In the sixties...Dans les annà ©es quatre-vingts...During the eighties... Dans means in a location when followed by an article plus noun, such as Il est dans la maison.Hes in the house. Quest-ce qui est dans la boà ®te? Whats in the box? Dans also means in or to with some states and provinces: Jhabite dans le Maine.I live in Maine.Je vais dans lOntario. ï » ¿Im going to Ontario.
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