- "En" is used for months and seasons.
- “À” is used for specific times.
- We use "avant" and "après" to indicate an order in time.
| Préposition (Preposition) | Exemple (Example) |
|---|---|
| En (In) | Nous partons en juillet. (We are leaving in July.) |
| À (At) | Rendez-vous à midi. (Meet at noon.) |
| Avant (Before) | Nous partons avant l'école. (We leave before school.) |
| Après (After) | Je me couche après le film. (I go to bed after the film.) |
Exceptions!
- Attention, do not confuse à (preposition) and a (3rd person singular of the verb avoir in the present tense).
Exercise 1: Les prépositions de temps: "En, À, Avant, Après"
Instruction: Fill in the correct word.
après, avant, en, à
1.
Je rentre ... qu'il pleuve.
(I'm going back before it rains.)
2.
Elles rentrent ... minuit.
(They return at midnight.)
3.
Il pleut souvent ... hiver.
(It often rains in winter.)
4.
Il neige souvent ... janvier.
(It often snows in January.)
5.
Nous célébrons ton anniversaire ... mars.
(We celebrate your birthday in March.)
6.
Je mange ... vingt heures.
(I eat at eight o'clock.)
7.
J'étudies ... le repas pour réviser.
(I study after the meal to revise.)
8.
Le temps change ... automne.
(The weather changes in autumn.)
Exercise 2: Translate and use in a sentence
Instruction: Pick a word, translated and use the word in a sentence or dialogue.
1
avant
before
2
en
It often snows in winter.
3
après
after
4
à
I eat at eight p.m.