The difference between a, à and as

06 oct. 2017 12:17 - language-swap

Niveau intermédiaire

The words a and à are grammatical homophones, however it is very important to make a difference out
of them because they do NOT have the same function in a French phrase.
- a and as are the verb “avoir” conjugated in the present tense at the second-person and third-person
singular
- à is a preposition
The easiest way to distinguish them is to put the phrase at another tense like the imperfect. Indeed, “a”
becomes “avait” while “à” doesn't change.
Example:
- Il a un chien (present tense) He has got a dog.
- Il avait un chien (past tense) He had a dog.
- Il ne pense qu'à manger (present tense) He only thinks about eating.
- Il ne pensait qu'à manger (past tense) He only thought about eating.
/!\ Warning:
“A” is always used before a past participle while “à” is used before a verb at the infinitive form.
Moreover, “à” is frequently used to indicate a place or something you give to someone.
Example:
- Nous allons à Paris. We are going to Paris.
- Je donne mon livre à Julie. I give my book to Julie.