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Devant or derrière? Explore front and back in French
Find the bike in front of the house and the garden behind it. Explore an illustrated scene, compare devant with avant and en face de, then try three questions.
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Devant means “in front of”; derrière means “behind”. Say Le vélo est devant la maison and Le jardin est derrière la maison, with the article directly after the preposition.
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Start with the house. Its front door faces the street; its garden is at the back. The garage also faces the street. Tap each item to read its position, then switch to “Find it” to match the French name.
Devant la maison, derrière la maison
Find:
How do you use devant and derrière in French?
| French | English |
|---|---|
| devant la porte | in front of the door |
| derrière le garage | behind the garage |
| devant moi | in front of me |
| derrière toi | behind you |
| derrière elle | behind her |
Use moi and toi after the preposition. Keep a noun’s article: devant la maison. The prepositions devant and derrière go straight before the noun phrase; à côté de has a different pattern.
What is the difference between devant, en face de and avant?
| French | English | Clue |
|---|---|---|
| J’attends devant le cinéma. | I’m waiting in front of the cinema. | In the area by its front. |
| Le café est en face du cinéma. | The café is opposite the cinema. | Facing it, for example across the street. |
| J’arrive avant le film. | I arrive before the film. | Earlier in time. |