What is the difference between 'a' and 'à'?

French is a hard language. But here is a helpful way of learning the difference between à and a.'a' is a conjugated form of the verb 'avoir' e.g. il a un bateau (He has a boat)'à' is commonly used as a preposition. Its meaning varies depending on the sentence. It can mean atin, or to. There is, however, a tricky rule. The preposition changes with the noun which follows it.if the noun that follows the preposition is feminine: ... à la ferme (to/in/at the farm) if the noun that follows the preposition is masculineà + le = ... au bistrot (to/in/at the pub) if the noun that follows the preposition is plurialà + les = ... aux jeux (to/in/at the games)When do I use à?1. Introducing a location e.g. Je vais à Londres (I am going to London) e.g. Nous sommes allés aux toilettes (We went to the toilet) - Side Note: toilettes is plural in French2. When talking about a point in time e.g. Elle arrive à sept heures (She comes at seven o'clcock)3. In terms of possession e.g. C'est à moi (It is mine) - Side Note: à nous = ours / à eux = theirs ...etcThere are slightly more complex rules but these are the most used examples in the common French language. Hope it helps.

Answered by Julien P. French tutor

47911 Views

See similar French GCSE tutors

Related French GCSE answers

All answers ▸

Translate the following sentence. If I had not worked on Wednesday, I would not have been tired.


How do I form the present participle?


How do I know which interrogative adjective to use?


How do I know when to use "être" or "avoir" to conjugate in the perfect tense?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact usWhatsapp logoMessage us on Whatsapptelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

© MyTutorWeb Ltd 2013–2024

Terms & Conditions|Privacy Policy
Cookie Preferences