Using dans, sur, sous, devant, derrière, entre to say in, on top of, under, in front of, behind (prepositions)

In: Level A1, Prepositions & Conjunctions, Préposition
Questions: 16

The following prepositions are used to indicate relative physical positions of one thing to another :  

dans in/inside
sur on/on top of 
devant  in front of 
derrière  behind 
entre between 
sous underneath 

Now look at these examples:

La lampe est sur le bureau.
The lamp is on the desk.

La boulangerie est dans le centre commercial.
The bakery is in the shopping mall.

Il est devant la poste.
He is in front of the post office.

Je suis assis entre Léa et Tim.
I'm sitting between Léa and Tim.

Qui est derrière toi?
Who is behind you?

Ta chaussure est sous le lit.
Your shoe is under the bed.

 ATTENTION: 

Although the prepositions above are straighforward, in general, the choice of which preposition to use in different contexts varies.  
You can't translate literally to/from English, but you will learn through experience!

Grammar Note:
Prepositions are words that are placed before a noun indicating the noun's relationship to another word in the sentence. (pre position = place before) 

Learn more about these related French grammar topics

Préposition

Examples and resources

A cartoon to demonstrate simple pronouns!

Et le vieux monsieur,  Descend vers le village, 
And the old man, 
Goes down towards the village,

dans = in/inside

La boulangerie est dans le centre commercial.
The bakery is in the shopping mall.

derrière = behind

Qui est derrière toi?
Who is behind you?

devant = in front of

Il est devant la poste.
He is in front of the post office.

entre = between

Je suis assis entre Léa et Tim.
I'm sitting between Léa and Tim.

sous = underneath

Ta chaussure est sous le lit.
Your shoe is under the bed.

sur = on/on top of

La lampe est sur le bureau.
The lamp is on the desk.

Q&A

Ann

Kwiziq community member

1 May 2018

1 reply

Have I not seen also au centre ville? Please explain when to use dans la centre ville and au centre ville.

Chris

Kwiziq community member

2 May 2018

2/05/18

Hi Ann,

it seems that both "dans le centre-ville" and "au centre-ville" are correct. I cannot find any difference in meaning between them, either.

-- Chris (not a native speaker).

Ann

Kwiziq community member

30 April 2018

1 reply

J'ai utilisé dessous mais le correct était sous. Qu'est-ce que c'est la différence?

Aurélie

Kwiziq language super star

1 May 2018

1/05/18

Bonjour Ann !

Nowadays, dessous is mostly used as an adverb, not as a preposition, meaning it's not followed with a location.

Its meaning is closer to underneath.

J'ai mis mon verre sous la table.
I put my glass under the table.

J'ai mis mon verre dessous.
I put my glass underneath.
-> Here it's understood that the location has been mentioned previously, so is not repeated.

I hope that helps!

Bonne journée !

CrystalMaiden

Kwiziq community member

1 April 2018

1 reply

Isn't en interchangeable with dans?

And yet it's a wrong answer.

Chris

Kwiziq community member

2 April 2018

2/04/18

No, "en" is not interchangable with "dans". "En" is used in a more general sense to connote the meaning of within. "Dans" is usually quite literally in.

Je suis en classe. -- I am attending a lesson.
Je suis dans la classe. -- I am in the classroom.

Je viens en voiture. -- I come by car.
Je suis dans la voiture. -- I am in the car.

Je suis en prison. -- I am incarcerated.
Je suis dans la prison. -- I am in the prison building (because, maybe, I work there).

-- Chris (not a native speaker).

Donald

Kwiziq community member

18 September 2017

3 replies

Dans la douche où sous la douche

J'ai appris que je suis sous la douche. Peut-être je me suis trompé..?

Ron

Kwiziq community member

19 September 2017

19/09/17

Bonsoir Donald, Je l'ai appris «prendre une douche». Alors, regardons de la Dictionnaire Collins-Robert: -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- shower (ˈʃaʊəʳ ) noun (for washing) douche f to have a shower or to take a shower --> prendre une douche, se doucher It is also used as an intransitive verb: intransitive verb prendre une douche, se doucher Alors, j'espère que ma réponse vous aidera. Bonne chance et bonne continuation dans vos études en français, la langue de Molière et qui a été utilisé par le monde depuis l’époque d’Hugues Capet

Donald

Kwiziq community member

20 September 2017

20/09/17

Mais Ron, je comprends qu'on prend une douche ou je me douche lorsque je suis sous la douche. Ca veut dire que je ne suis pas dans la douche. Je plaisante. C'est bien d'avoir un endroit où se doucher, se raser et te ravager. Regardez la dictionnaire Collins. Je ris pendant tout le chemin jusqu'a la douche.

Ron

Kwiziq community member

20 September 2017

20/09/17

à re-bonjour Donald, C'est une très bonne plaisanterie bien qu'il y ait deux locutions de plus dans la dictionnaire qui sont, peut-être à propos: 1) (figuratif, familier) ce qui détruit un espoir, un illusion -- rabat les prétentions, ramène au sens des réalités 2) ( vielli et familier) réprimander (ex: Il s'est fait doucher par son père.) Rabbatre l'exaltation de quelqu'un. (Il y avait eu dans sa jeunesse un petit fait qui l'avait douché pour la vie) Merci de m'avoir appris ces deux locutions. Il vous faut d'être au niveau C2 pour connaître ces locutions au-dessus. Je vous souhaite de ne jamais être sous la douche.

Sandra

Kwiziq community member

29 November 2016

5 replies

I'm sat between Lea and Tim.

I've never in the U.S. heard this. We say I am seated between Lea and Tim. or I was seated between them. Not sure what grammar book uses this expression, I am sat. Never heard it. I sat down is used

Aurélie

Kwiziq language super star

29 November 2016

29/11/16

Merci beaucoup Sandra ! The English translation of this example has now been edited :) Bonne journée !

Ron

Kwiziq community member

19 June 2017

19/06/17

It could also be «I am sitting between Lea and Tim.»

Joanna

Kwiziq community member

22 August 2017

22/08/17

To say 'I'm sat between Lea and Tom' may not be grammatically correct but it is commonly used in the UK - must be colloquial!

Jay

Kwiziq community member

30 June 2018

30/06/18

If I say 'I was sat' instead of 'I was sitting' we Brits generally mean that we did not chose our seating place but were asked to sit there by our host/hostess or a seating plan.

LA

Kwiziq community member

24 October 2018

24/10/18

Americans will use ‘I was seated’ in the same circumstances, as in ‘At the gala, I was seated between Steven and John’.

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