Prepositions (2/3)
French: Cambridge International GCSE, topic 8.6.2
'Pendant', 'Depuis', 'Pour' - For
'Pendant', 'Depuis', and 'Pour' all mean 'for'. They are each used differently.
Pendant
- 'Pendant' is used to specify a length of time.
- Tous les jours, je parle avec Sam pendant une heure.
- I speak to Sam every day for an hour.
- J'ai habité en France pendant un an.
- I lived in France for a year.
Depuis
- 'Depuis' is used for actions that started in the past but that are still happening now.
- Je viens ici pour un café depuis des années.
- I have been coming here for a coffee for years.
- Il est ici depuis six mois
- He has been here for six months.
Pour
- 'Pour' is used similarly to how 'for' is used in English when describing time.
- 'Pour' is only used to express the future.
- Je vais aller en Inde pour trois semaines
- I am going to go to India for three weeks.
- L'année prochaine, je vais aller en Italie pour une semaine.
- Next year, I am going to go to Italy for a week.
Other Prepositions
Here are some other important prepositions that you need to know. They are used in the same way that they are used in English:
Avec - with
- Avec plaisir .
- With pleasure.
- J'y suis allé avec ma famille.
- I went there with my family.
Dans - in
- Je vis dans une petite ville.
- I live in a small city.
- Dans tous les cas.
- In any case.
- J'arriverai dans une heure.
- I will arrive in an hour.
Sans - without
- Je bois toujours mon café sans lait.
- I always drink my coffee without milk.
- Il l'a fait sans difficulté.
- He did it without difficulty.
Chez - at the home of
- Je suis chez Theo.
- I am at Theo's house.
- Elle est chez Lucy.
- She is at Lucy's house.
- Je dois rentrer chez moi
- I need to go home.
Contre - against
- Ils ont voté contre la proposition.
- They voted against the proposal.
- Lutte contre le cancer.
- Fight against Cancer.
Test yourself on Prepositions (2/3)
Which of the French words meaning 'for' would you only use when referring to time in the future?
How do you say 'at the home of' in French?