devant
/də.vɑ̃/
The English phrase "in front of" is translated into French as devant.
devant is used to indicate that something or someone is located at or near the front part of an object or person.
Meaning: at or near the front part of (prep)
Which one should you use?
While devant indicates physical position in front of something, use en face de if you mean that something is opposite or facing something else. Additionally, the formal phrase face à can be used when facing a person or a situation directly or to convey a sense of confrontation.
How does it change in a sentence?
As a preposition, devant is not followed by the preposition de when it is used to mean "in front of".
How do you pronounce it?
devant is pronounced /də.vɑ̃/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- Despite the identical meaning and similar sound, devant is a false cognate of the Indonesian and Malay word depan.
- In legal settings, devant is the standard term for appearing 'before' an authority, such as devant le juge for 'before the judge'.
- While English uses 'ahead of' to describe someone further along in a process or a queue, French often uses devant for both physical and metaphorical priority.
Examples in context
- Regarde devant toi !Look in front of you.This sentence is useful for practicing the use of devant in a command.Tatoeba #2274972 by sacredceltic, translation #2274139 by sharptoothed
- Il marchait devant moi.He was walking in front of me.This sentence shows devant used to describe movement relative to someone.Tatoeba #132348 by sacredceltic, translation #491515 by adjusting
- Il est devant la porte.He is in front of the door.This sentence shows devant used to describe a physical position relative to a door.Tatoeba #1172318 by Sibelius, translation #291905 by CK
- Le musée se trouve devant la place principale.The museum is in front of the main square.
- Le président me parlait devant tout le conseil d'administration.The president was speaking to me in front of the entire board of directors.
- Il était face à son ennemi juré.He was in front of his sworn enemy.
- Je me retrouve face à un choix difficile.I find myself confronted with a difficult choice.
- Ma maison est en face du parc.My house is in front of the park.
- 266 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are looking for their car in a parking lot.
- LéaOù est la voiture, Nathan ?Where is the car, Nathan?
- NathanElle est juste devant le supermarché.It is right in front of the supermarket.
- LéaAh, je la vois enfin !Ah, I finally see it!
- NathanOn y va alors.Let's go then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “in front of” translations and entries devant, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries devant, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
