sur
/syʁ/
The English word 'on' is translated into French as sur.
As a preposition, sur is used to indicate that something is positioned at or resting against the outer surface of something else or is attached to it. Note that in informal spoken French, the word on is widely used as a replacement for the pronoun nous (we).
Meaning: positioned at or resting against the outer surface of, attached to (prep)
Which one should you use?
While sur means 'on', it is often confused with sous, which means 'under'.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/syʁ/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use sur to mean 'sure' (certain), but the French word for 'sure' is sûr.
Did you know?
Examples in context
- Sur ce, vas-y !Go on then!This sentence shows how sur can be used in an idiomatic expression.Tatoeba #8746363 by Julien_PDC, translation #12063195 by zogwarg
- Je compte sur toi.I'm counting on you.Tatoeba #457740 by sacredceltic, translation #64314 by CK
- Il est sur le lit.It's on the bed.This sentence demonstrates the basic use of sur to indicate position on a surface.Tatoeba #8333444 by theachaean, translation #11956318 by zogwarg
- On va au cinéma ce soir ?Are we going to the movies tonight?
- 4973 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Léa are in the living room.
- HugoOù est mon sac ? Il était sur la chaise.Where is my bag? It was on the chair.
- LéaJe l'ai mis sur la table de la cuisine.I put it on the kitchen table.
- HugoMerci, Léa. Tu m'aides beaucoup.Thanks, Léa. You help me a lot.
- LéaDe rien, Hugo. Il est juste là.You're welcome, Hugo. It's right there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “on” translations and entries sur, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries sur, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
