Dans/sur/sous/devant/derrière/entre = in/on top of/under/in front of/behind/between (French Prepositions of Location)

Prepositions of location describe where someone or something is located in relation to someone else or something else.

Prepositions of location in French

The following prepositions are used to indicate relative physical positions of one thing to another :  

dans in/inside
sur on/on top of 
devant  in front of 
derrière  behind 
entre between 
sous underneath 

Now look at these examples:

La lampe est sur le bureau.The lamp is on the desk.

La boulangerie est dans le centre commercial.The bakery is in the shopping mall.

Il est devant la poste.He is in front of the post office.

Je suis assis entre Léa et Tim.I'm sitting between Léa and Tim.

Qui est derrière toi ?Who is behind you?

Ta chaussure est sous le lit.Your shoe is under the bed.

 ATTENTION: 

Although the prepositions above are straighforward, in general, the choice of which preposition to use in different contexts varies.  
You can't translate literally to/from English, but you will learn through experience!

Grammar Note:
Prepositions are words that are placed before a noun indicating the noun's relationship to another word in the sentence. (pre position = place before) 

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Examples and resources

A cartoon to demonstrate simple pronouns!
Et le vieux monsieur,  Descend vers le village, And the old man, 
Goes down towards the village,

dans = in/inside


La boulangerie est dans le centre commercial.The bakery is in the shopping mall.

derrière = behind


Qui est derrière toi ?Who is behind you?

devant = in front of


Il est devant la poste.He is in front of the post office.

entre = between


Je suis assis entre Léa et Tim.I'm sitting between Léa and Tim.

sous = underneath


Ta chaussure est sous le lit.Your shoe is under the bed.

sur = on/on top of


La lampe est sur le bureau.The lamp is on the desk.
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