devant/də.vɑ̃/
preposition / adverb / noun · A1 · Frequency 509
preposition
Meanings
in front of; before; in the presence of
Used for physical position (“in front of something”) and abstract situations (“in someone’s presence, faced with”). It does not simply mean “outside”.
Examples
Le taxi attend devant l'entrée principale de l'hôtel.
The taxi is waiting in front of the hotel's main entrance.
Il a présenté ses excuses devant toute l'équipe.
He apologized in front of the whole team.
Elle reste calme devant une situation aussi difficile.
She remains calm in the face of such a difficult situation.
Collocations
- devant la maisonin front of the house
- se tenir devant quelqu'unto stand in front of someone
- parler devant un publicto speak in front of an audience
Common mistakes
Il est devant la maison.
Il est devant *la* maison.
devant is a preposition and must be followed by a definite (la/le/les) or indefinite (une/un/des) article before a noun; omitting the article is a common error among English speakers.
Je suis devant.
Je suis *devant la porte* / *devant lui*.
devant cannot stand alone as a predicate; it requires a noun or pronoun complement (e.g., la porte, lui) to convey complete meaning — unlike adverbs, it is not grammatically autonomous.
Related words
Grammar note
The preposition devant must be followed directly by a noun phrase, indicating spatial or temporal position "in front of".
adverb
Meanings
in front, at the front
Indicates spatial position, meaning something or someone is located before another object or person.
Examples
Le guide marche devant et nous le suivons.
The guide walks in front, and we follow him.
Les enfants courent devant pendant que leurs parents ferment la porte.
The children run ahead while their parents close the door.
Regarde devant avant de traverser la rue.
Look ahead before crossing the street.
Collocations
- juste devantright in front
Common mistakes
La voiture est devant de la maison.
La voiture est devant la maison.
devant directly precedes the noun phrase here; de should not be added.
Related words
nounmasculine
Meanings
front
Used as a noun to denote the front part or position of an object or space, commonly in spatial descriptions.
forepart, forward area
Refers to the forepart or forward area of an object or region, emphasizing the front end or forefront.
Examples
Le devant de la voiture était couvert de boue après le trajet.
The front of the car was covered in mud after the journey.
J'ai nettoyé le devant du four avec une éponge humide.
I cleaned the front of the oven with a damp sponge.
Le devant du magasin donne directement sur la place.
The front of the shop faces directly onto the square.
Collocations
- le devant de la scènethe front of the stage; the limelight
Common mistakes
devant est toujours une préposition.
devant peut aussi être un nom.
Learners often mistakenly think that "devant" is only a preposition, overlooking its use as a noun.
On ne met pas d'article devant devant.
On utilise souvent un article défini devant devant quand c'est un nom.
When used as a noun, "devant" usually takes a definite article, e.g. "le devant de la maison".
Related words
- synonymavantfront
- antonymderrièrerear of an object
antonymarrièreback; rear
nounmasculine
Meanings
front
Used as a noun to denote the front part or position of an object or space, commonly in spatial descriptions.
forepart, forward area
Refers to the forepart or forward area of an object or region, emphasizing the front end or forefront.
Examples
Les devants de cette veste sont tachés de peinture.
The front panels of this jacket are stained with paint.
La couturière a renforcé les devants des chemises avec une doublure fine.
The seamstress reinforced the fronts of the shirts with a thin lining.
Les devants des manteaux sont restés propres malgré la pluie.
The fronts of the coats stayed clean despite the rain.