French Prepositions of Movement: Vers, Pour, and Par

Movement Prepositions

Different prepositions express various types of movement in French. Each has specific uses for describing travel and direction.

Vers - Toward

Used for movement in a direction

General Direction

1. "Je marche vers la gare" (I'm walking toward the station)

   • Indicates movement toward without necessarily reaching

2. "Le train va vers Paris" (The train is going toward Paris)

   • Shows general direction of travel

Pour - Heading To

Indicates final destination

Destination

1. "Je pars pour Londres" (I'm leaving for London)

   • Shows intended destination

2. "L'avion est pour Rome" (The plane is for Rome)

   • Indicates final stop

Par - Through/Via

Used for routes and means of travel

Routes

1. "Nous passons par Lyon" (We're going through Lyon)

   • Indicates passing through a place

2. "Elle voyage par train" (She travels by train)

   • Shows means of transportation

Combined Usage Examples

Travel Planning

1. "Je passe par Madrid pour aller au Portugal" (I'm going through Madrid to get to Portugal)

   • Combines route and destination

2. "Nous allons vers le nord par l'autoroute" (We're heading north via the highway)

   • Shows direction and method

Common Travel Phrases

Direction Asking

1. "Pour aller à la banque?" (How do I get to the bank?)

   • Common way to ask directions

2. "Par où faut-il passer?" (Which way should I go?)

   • Asking about route

Giving Directions

1. "Allez vers le centre-ville" (Go toward downtown)

   • Using vers for general direction

2. "Passez par le parc" (Go through the park)

   • Indicating a route

Important Distinctions

Vers vs Pour

• Vers: general direction
• Pour: specific destination

Par vs À travers

• Par: route or means
• À travers: through (physically)

Practical Applications

Transportation

1. "Je vais au travail par métro" (I go to work by metro)

2. "Le bus passe par le centre" (The bus goes through the center)

Walking Directions

1. "Marchez vers l'église" (Walk toward the church)

2. "Passez par la rue principale" (Go through the main street)

Context helps determine which preposition fits best. Consider whether you're indicating direction, destination, or route when choosing between them.