In French, what is the difference between "à" and "en"?

Question

When do you use them?

Answer 1

I took three years of French but I think it's harder to explain online so here are a couple of links

http://french.about.com/library/prepositions/bl_prep_a.htm
http://french.about.com/library/prepositions/bl_prep_en.htm

Answer 2

À is used when you're making reference to cities.

It is also used when you are indicating directions, like where you're going to: Je vais à la banque.

Another use is when you're talking about plural countries, in combination with the corresponding article, like AUX États Unis.

When you are talking about masculine countries than begin with a consonant, you use À in combination with the article, like: J'habite au Mexique.

You use à with the name of an island that begins with a consonant and is not introduced with an article: à Cuba.

À is used with cardinal points: à l'ouest, au nord...

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EN is used for feminine countries, like: J'habite en France.

En is used for masculine countries that begin with a vowel: J'habite en Israël.

It is used with months, when you're talking about a future period of time, like next August: En Août, c'est mon anniversaire.

You use EN with a present participle: en admettant que, en attendant que...

En is also used in some prepositional/adverbial expressions: en ce moment, en conséquence, en effet, en raison de, en vue de...

En is used with seasons: en hiver, en été...

When you describe the material something is made of: Cette bague est en or (This ring is made of gold)


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There are some things that can be introduced by both, en and à, but the meaning changes:
Je voyage en avion (airplane as trasport)
Je voyage á la section B de l'avion (you are in section B of the airplane)


I hope this is useful!!

Answer 3

À can be used to desing a place
ie:
Je vais à Paris (I'm going to paris
Ces chaussettes sont à toi (these socks are yours)
En can also be used to desing a place
ie:
Je vais en Flance (I'm going to France)
Ces chaussettes sone en laine (These socks are made of wool)

But French is more complicated than that, if you say I am going to the US its Je vais aux Étas Unis, if youre going to England its Je vais en Angleterre, if your going to Cuba its Je vais à Cuba, In India, en Inde, in Canada, au Canada ...

Answer 4

"à" is used for city names, or specific places like English "at" that are feminine in gender (à la piscine= at the pool, for example)

"en" is used for countries and continents that are feminine in gender (ex. France, Amérique, Europe, Chine, Russie, Asie, Australie, etc.

Extra info: "au" is used for masculine gender places, whether it is a specific place, a country or a continent, but not a city, ex. au Canada, au Pérou, au Brésil, au cinéma...

Hope I helped!

Answer 5

well "à" is for when saying you are in a city, like "à Paris."

"en" is for pretty much anything else, like "en classe" = "in class" and "en France" = "in France", and so on an so forth.