au-dessus
/o.d(ə).sy/
In French, the phrase for above is au-dessus.
au-dessus is used to indicate a position higher than something else. It can be used as an adverb or as part of the prepositional phrase au-dessus de when followed by an object. For a sense of being higher than or beyond a certain level, you can also use plus haut que.
Meaning: over, on top of (prep)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of au (at the) and dessus (top/upper part).
Which one should you use?
Use au-dessus de to indicate a position higher than something else, whereas sur is used specifically when something is physically touching or resting on a surface. Additionally, au-dessus is an adverbial phrase that can stand on its own or be followed by de, while dessus (without au) is used to mean 'on top of it' in specific contexts.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
When used as a preposition followed by an object, au-dessus must be followed by de.
How do you pronounce it?
/o.d(ə).sy/
Did you know?
- In French, the opposite of au-dessus is au-dessous. These two phrases sound nearly identical to English speakers, differing by only one vowel sound.
- When describing a level or rank, such as being 'above' a certain grade, French speakers often switch from au-dessus to supérieur à.
- If you are talking about the 'top' of a page or a list, you might use en haut instead of au-dessus, as au-dessus implies a relationship between two specific objects.
Examples in context
- Il est au-dessus de moi.He is above me.This sentence shows how to use au-dessus to describe someone's position relative to another person.Tatoeba #1148129 by sacredceltic, translation #1147992 by cntrational
- C'est juste au-dessus de toi.It's right above you.This sentence demonstrates using au-dessus to indicate something is located right above a person.Tatoeba #3640562 by sacredceltic, translation #3636218 by CK
- Ziri est au-dessus du soupçon.Ziri is above suspicion.This sentence uses au-dessus in an idiomatic sense to mean being above suspicion.Tatoeba #11958223 by Amastan, translation #10210298 by Amastan
- Le tableau est accroché au-dessus du canapé.The painting is hung above the sofa.
- Il a lancé la balle par-dessus la clôture.He threw the ball over the fence.
- Mets le livre au-dessus.Put the book above/on top.
- Il a sauté par-dessus la barrière.He jumped over the fence.
- 91 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé is helping Hugo find a book on a shelf.
- ChloéLe livre est au-dessus du dictionnaire.The book is above the dictionary.
- HugoJe ne le vois pas ici.I don't see it here.
- ChloéRegarde bien au-dessus de la pile.Look closely above the pile.
- HugoAh oui, je l'ai trouvé !Ah yes, I found it!
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry au-dessus, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
