par
/paʁ/
The English word "through" is translated into French as par.
par is used to express the idea of moving through a medium or a passage, such as breathing through a nose or a mouth. In more professional or business contexts, you may encounter the formal expression par le biais de, which means "by means of" or "via".
Meaning: from one side to the other (adv)
Which one should you use?
While par can be used to describe a medium or passage, it is distinct from à travers, which is used more specifically for physical movement from one side of an object to the other, such as walking through a forest.
How does it change in a sentence?
The preposition par is invariable, meaning it does not change its form regardless of the gender or number of the noun that follows it.
How do you pronounce it?
/paʁ/
Did you know?
- The French expression parler par cœur means to speak from memory, literally translating to 'speaking by heart'.
- The French preposition par shares a common ancestor with the English word 'per', which is why they both appear in formal phrases like 'per capita' or 'par excellence'.
- In the common phrase par hasard, par does not mean movement through a space but indicates the cause, translating to 'by chance'.
Examples in context
- Respire par le nez.Breathe through your nose.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to use par when referring to the nose.Tatoeba #1173638 by sacredceltic, translation #4666280 by CK
- Inspire par le nez.Breathe in through your nose.Tatoeba #11735374 by Aiji, translation #6570556 by Hybrid
- Respire par la bouche.Breathe through your mouth.This sentence is useful for demonstrating how to use par when referring to the mouth.Tatoeba #12228906 by Orange, translation #11336816 by ddnktr
- Le fleuve coule à travers la ville.The river flows through the city.
- Il partage ses émotions à travers ses poèmes.He shares his emotions through his poems.
- J'ai obtenu cette information par le biais de notre site officiel.I obtained this information through our official website.
- Nous aimerions vous contacter par le biais de votre adresse e-mail.We would like to contact you through your email address.
- Tu peux rejoindre la plage en passant par ce chemin.You can reach the beach by passing through this path.
- J'ai découvert ce charmant petit village en passant par la campagne.I discovered this charming little village by way of the countryside.
- On peut arriver au parc en traversant cette rue.You can reach the park by going through this street.
- 238 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Manon and Lucas are walking in a park.
- ManonOn passe par ce petit chemin ?Do we go through this little path?
- LucasOui, c'est plus court.Yes, it is shorter.
- ManonRegarde, la lumière passe par les arbres.Look, the light comes through the trees.
- LucasC'est magnifique.It is magnificent.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry par, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries par, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
