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Par in French: explore a route, then spot an agent or rate

Edited by Chris Lee · Updated · About the library

Explore a French town to practise par for a route. Compare an agent, a communication channel and a per-unit rate, then answer five quick questions.

In short

Par can mean “through” or “via” for a route, “by” for a passive agent, and “per” for a rate: par le parc, par Nora, par personne. Read the verb and the words after par to see which relationship it expresses.

Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn

A park path leads across a stone bridge toward a station.
The route passes par le parc and over the bridge. Illustration: Atelier

Start at the bakery and head to the station. The route crosses the park and then the bridge. Tap the six places to read the route phrases, then try the Find it mode.

De la boulangerie à la gare

A compact French town viewed from slightly above. On the left a bakery with bread visible in its window faces a small public park. A footpath crosses the park t

What does par mean in French?

The place’s role decides the preposition
FrenchRoleEnglish
Nous partons de la boulangerie.OriginWe leave from the bakery.
Nous passons par le parc.RouteWe go through the park.
Nous allons à la gare.DestinationWe are going to the station.

A city can also lie on a route: Nous passons par Lyon pour aller à Grenoble. Par Lyon means via Lyon. The sentence gives the route; a visit or stop can be added separately: Nous nous arrêtons à Lyon pour déjeuner.

What else can par mean?

Le texte est traduit par Nora.The text is translated by Nora.

Focus: Agent: who performs the action

Nora traduit le texte.
Nora translates the text.

Je confirme par téléphone.I confirm by phone.

Focus: Channel: how the message is sent

Envoyez votre réponse par courrier électronique.
Send your reply by email.

Deux séances par semaineTwo sessions a week

Focus: Rate: a quantity for each unit

Le tarif est de dix euros par personne.
The price is ten euros per person.

Keep the ordinary article pattern of each phrase: par le parc has an article, par Nora uses a name, and par semaine gives the unit directly. For transport, use the familiar course phrases en train, en voiture and à vélo: Nous passons par Lyon en train.

Question 1No account needed
Choose the route word.Nous passons ___ le parc pour aller à la gare.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

par. Passer par names a place on the route. Here the park is on the way to the station.

Question 2No account needed
What does par Nora identify?Le texte est traduit par Nora.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

The translator. Nora performs the translation. She is the agent of the passive action.

Question 3No account needed
Two sessions a week tells you what?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

The number within each week. Par semaine gives a weekly rate. A timetable supplies the days and times separately.

Question 4No account needed
Use the ordinary phrase for travelling by train.Nous allons à Lyon ___.

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

en train. The usual transport phrase is en train. Par Lyon can separately name the route.

Question 5No account needed
At ten euros per person, what is the total for three people?

Choose one answer.

Answer and explanation

trente euros. Three people at ten euros each makes thirty euros: trois fois dix euros.

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