Using the French Prepositions En and Dans

Using the French Prepositions 'En' and 'Dans' In French, the prepositions en and dans both mean in, and they both express time and location. They are not, however, interchangeable.  Their usage depends on both meaning and grammar. How French Prepositions Work In French, prepositions  are generally words that  link two related parts of a sentence. They are usually placed in front of nouns or pronouns  to indicate a relationship between that  noun or pronoun and a verb, adjective  or noun that precedes it. Im talking to Jean.Je parle  Ã‚  Jean.She is from Paris.Elle est  de  Paris.The book is for you.  Le livre est  pour  toi. These small but powerful  words not only show relationships between words, they also refine the meanings of place (cities, countries, islands, regions, and U.S. states) and time (as with  pendant  and  durant); can follow adjectives and link them to the remainder of a sentence; can  never  end a sentence (as they can in English); can be difficult to translate into English and idiomatic; and can exist as a prepositional phrase, such as  au-dessus de  (above),  au-dessous de (below),  and  au milieu de (in the middle of). Some prepositions are also used after certain verbs to complete their meaning, such as  croire en  (to believe in),  parler   (to talk to) and  parler de  (to talk about).  Plus, prepositional phrases can be replaced by the adverbial pronouns  y  and  en. The following guidelines and examples delineate how and when to use two of the trickier French prepositions:  en and dans. Notice how they link two related parts of each sentence.   Examples of When  to Use En in French En expresses the length of time an action happens. As a result, the verb is usually in the present or past tense, as in Je peux faire le lit en cinq minutes.I can make the bed in five minutes.Il a lu le livre en une heure.  He read the book in an hour.Jai appris danser en un an.  I learned how to dance in a year. En  expresses when an action happens as it relates to the calendar: month, season, or year. Exception: au printemps. Nous voyageons en Avril. We travel in April.Il arrivera en hiver.  He will arrive in the winter. En  can mean in or to when followed directly by a noun that doesnt need an article: Vous allez en prison!  Youre going to prison!  Il est en classe.  Hes in school. En  can also mean  in or to when used with some  states, provinces, and countries, such as Jhabite en Californie.I live in California.Je vais en France. Im going to France. Examples of When to Use Dans Dans  indicates the amount of time before action will occur. Note that the verb is usually in the present or future, as in Nous partons dans dix minutes.Were leaving in 10 minutes.  Il reviendra dans une heure.Hell be back in an hour.  Elle va commencer dans une semaine. Shes going to start in a week. Dans  refers to something that occurs within or during a decade, as in Dans les annà ©es soixantes...In the sixties...Dans les annà ©es quatre-vingts...During the eighties... Dans  means in a location when followed by an article plus noun, such as Il est dans la maison.Hes in the house.  Quest-ce qui est dans la boà ®te? Whats in the box? Dans  also means in or to with some  states and provinces: Jhabite dans le Maine.I live in Maine.Je vais dans lOntario. ï » ¿Im going to Ontario.