The Avant and Devant Dance: Choreographing Your French Sentences

French learners often find themselves stepping on toes when it comes to using "avant" and "devant" correctly. These two prepositions, while similar in sound, play very different roles in the language. Let's waltz through their uses and see how they guide the flow of French sentences.

The Time Step: Avant

"Avant" primarily deals with time, indicating "before" or "ahead of" in a temporal sense.

Examples:

1. Je mange avant midi. (I eat before noon.)
2. Il est arrivé avant moi. (He arrived before me.)
3. Avant de partir, n'oublie pas tes clés. (Before leaving, don't forget your keys.)
4. Nous nous sommes rencontrés avant le concert. (We met before the concert.)
5. Elle a terminé son travail avant la date limite. (She finished her work before the deadline.)
6. Avant l'invention du téléphone, les gens communiquaient par lettre. (Before the invention of the telephone, people communicated by letter.)
7. Il faut réserver avant le 15 du mois. (You must book before the 15th of the month.)
8. Avant tout, je voudrais vous remercier. (First of all, I would like to thank you.)
9. Le train part juste avant minuit. (The train leaves just before midnight.)
10. Avant la guerre, la vie était différente. (Before the war, life was different.)

The Space Step: Devant

"Devant" deals with physical space, meaning "in front of" or "before" in a spatial sense.

Examples:

1. La voiture est garée devant la maison. (The car is parked in front of the house.)
2. Il y a une fontaine devant le musée. (There's a fountain in front of the museum.)
3. Ne parle pas la bouche pleine devant les invités. (Don't talk with your mouth full in front of guests.)
4. Le chien dort devant la cheminée. (The dog sleeps in front of the fireplace.)
5. Mets-toi devant moi dans la file. (Stand in front of me in the line.)
6. Il y a un grand arbre devant ma fenêtre. (There's a big tree in front of my window.)
7. La scène est juste devant nous. (The stage is right in front of us.)
8. Elle a planté des fleurs devant son appartement. (She planted flowers in front of her apartment.)
9. Le professeur se tient devant la classe. (The teacher stands in front of the class.)
10. Ne laissez pas traîner vos affaires devant la porte. (Don't leave your things lying in front of the door.)

Choreographing Your Sentences

Understanding the difference between "avant" and "devant" allows you to choreograph your French sentences with precision.

Time Expressions with Avant

• Avant + noun: Avant le dîner (Before dinner)
• Avant de + infinitive: Avant de dormir (Before sleeping)
• Avant que + subjunctive: Avant qu'il ne parte (Before he leaves)

Spatial Expressions with Devant

• Devant + noun: Devant l'école (In front of the school)
• Devant + pronoun: Devant moi (In front of me)
• Se tenir devant: Se tenir devant le miroir (To stand in front of the mirror)

Practice Steps

Try these exercises to perfect your "avant" and "devant" dance:

1. Fill in the blanks with either "avant" or "devant": a) Il est arrivé _____ l'heure prévue. b) Ne vous arrêtez pas _____ le panneau stop. c) _____ de sortir, vérifie la météo. d) Elle s'est présentée _____ le jury.

2. Translate these sentences into French: a) Before the movie, we'll eat dinner. b) The cat is sleeping in front of the fireplace. c) Don't cross the street before looking both ways. d) He always stands in front of the class when he speaks.

3. Create your own sentences using "avant" and "devant" in various contexts.

The Final Bow

Mastering "avant" and "devant" adds grace and precision to your French. Remember, "avant" leads you through time, while "devant" positions you in space. With practice, you'll soon be gliding through French conversations, using these prepositions with confidence and style.

Answer Key

1. a) avant, b) devant, c) Avant, d) devant
2. a) Avant le film, nous mangerons le dîner. b) Le chat dort devant la cheminée. c) Ne traverse pas la rue avant de regarder des deux côtés. d) Il se tient toujours devant la classe quand il parle.

Keep practicing, and soon you'll be leading in this French language dance!