à
de / en
à la / à l' / au / aux
Learn more about these related French grammar topics
Examples and resources
un verre à vin
a wine glass (a glass for wine)
la glace à la vanille
a vanilla ice-cream
un sac de cuir / un sac en cuir
a leather bag
un bracelet en or
a gold bracelet
une tarte aux pommes
an apple tart
Boules de neige et Jour de l'An Et Bonne Année grand-mère !
Snowballs and New Year's Day and Happy New Year Grandma!
une brosse à dents
a tooth brush
une boule de neige
a snowball (a ball of snow)
un sandwich au jambon
a ham sandwich
une boule à neige
a snowglobe (an ornamental toy that you shake)
une cuillère à soupe
a soup spoon
un oreiller en plume / un oreiller de plume
a feather pillow
Loading your KwizQ&A
Nev
Kwiziq community member
21 December 2017
2 replies
Should plumeun in feather pillow be plumeux?
Chris
Kwiziq community member
21/12/17
"un oreiller en plume / un oreiller de plume".
-- Chris.
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
21/12/17
Thanks to you both, the example has now been amended :)
Merci et à bientôt !
Ron
Kwiziq community member
21/10/17
une boule de neige --> a snowball (a ball of snow)
There does not seem to be a valid reason one could not state «une boule en neige», the biggest hurdle with that locution; however, would be in using it verbally. Une boule de neige sounds more aesthetically pleasing when pronounced.
Bonne chance.
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
28/04/17
"Salle de bains" is a fixed expression in French.
I would say that we're literally saying "the room of baths" as in "containing the baths", hence the use of "de" here: it's the room that *owns* the baths in the house :)
I hope that helps!
Bonne journée !
Surendra
Kwiziq community member
28/04/17
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
15/03/17
Yes, exactly! "Un verre à eau" is a glass "made for" water, whereas "un verre d'eau" is a glass containing water.
Bonne journée !
Thekla
Kwiziq community member
18/03/17
Joakim
Kwiziq community member
25 December 2016
1 reply
De vs en
Are these competely interchangeable for specifying what something is made of or are there pronounciation rules that indicate which one is better for a particular word?
Aurélie
Kwiziq language super star
27/12/16
I would say that "en" implies that this is the main (and often only) element the thing is made of, whereas "de" would imply that it's one of the elements composing the thing, but there must be more.
Colloquially, "en" is used more often than "de".
I hope that's helpful!
Bonnes Fêtes et à bientôt !
Shruti
Kwiziq community member
1 April 2018
1 reply
We can also say
une tasse à café.
A cup for coffee?
Chris
Kwiziq community member
2 April 2018
2/04/18
A coffe cup -- une tasse à café.
A cup of coffee -- une tasse de café.
-- Chris (not a native speaker).