A1BeginnerPrepositions and adverbs · Point 9 / 40
à la (à + la), au (à + le), à l' (à + l'), chez, dans, en
For a place, the preposition depends on the word that follows.
| Preposition | Pattern | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| à la (à | + la) | “to/at the” before a feminine noun |
| au (à | + le) | “to/at the” before a masculine noun (à + le) |
| à l' (à | + l') | “to/at the” before a vowel |
| chez | — | “at the place of” (a person) |
| dans | — | “inside/in” |
| en | — | “in” (with certain words that take no article) |
Never say “à le” — always “au”. Likewise, “à” + “les” becomes “aux”.
Examples from our dialogues 5 · 4 with audio
- Listen
Un peu. Je vais au gym deux fois par semaine.
A bit. I go to the gym twice a week.
Check The Full DialogueTalking about hobbies at a café
- Listen
Entre ! Bienvenue chez nous !
Come in! Welcome to our place!
Check The Full DialogueWelcoming guests into your home
- Listen
Elle est à 14 h, dans la grande salle.
It's at 2 p.m., in the big room.
Check The Full DialogueAn informal call with a colleague
- Listen
C'est proche de chez moi, et j'aime le contact avec les clients.
It's close to home, and I like contact with customers.
Check The Full DialogueA job interview
Je vais à la pharmacie, puis chez le médecin.
I'm going to the pharmacy, then to the doctor's.
Common mistakes
Je vais à le bureau.Je vais au bureau.
“À” + “le” always becomes “au”. Likewise, “à” + “les” becomes “aux”.
Je vais à la médecin.Je vais chez le médecin.
For a person (doctor, dentist, hairdresser, a friend), use “chez”, not “à”.
Practise speaking
Les interactions socialesSocial interactions
Greeting, getting acquainted, chatting with a neighbour — the French of everyday exchanges.
These dialogues use this point. They open on the dialogue page (audio, vocabulary to save).