avec

With with Avec

Level 1

The preposition avec is the French equivalent of "with." It is used to show who you are with, what tool you are using, or how you are doing something.

How It Works

The preposition avec serves several primary functions in French:

1. Accompaniment: To indicate being with someone or something.
Example: Je dîne avec Paul. (I am dining with Paul.)

2. Means or Instrument: To indicate the tool used to perform an action.
Example: Il écrit avec un stylo. (He writes with a pen.)

3. Manner: To describe how an action is performed. In general adverbial phrases, the article is omitted (avec patience). However, if the noun is modified by an adjective, the article returns.
Example: Elle parle avec une grande patience. (She speaks with great patience.)

4. Behavior/Attitude: To describe how one acts toward someone else.
Example: Il est très gentil avec moi. (He is very kind to/with me.)

Phonology Note: The final -c in avec is always pronounced (/avɛk/). When the next word starts with a vowel, the /k/ sound slides into that vowel (enchaînement). For example, avec un ami sounds like /a.vɛ.kœ̃.na.mi/.

Important Distinction: While avec means "with," French often uses à for physical descriptions (e.g., "the girl with blue eyes" is la fille aux yeux bleus).

Examples (4)

  1. Je vais au cinéma avec mes amis.

    I am going to the movies with my friends.

    Word by Word: I go to the cinema with my friends.

    This shows accompaniment, indicating who the subject is going with.

  2. Elle coupe la pomme avec un couteau.

    She cuts the apple with a knife.

    Word by Word: She cuts the apple with a knife.

    This shows the instrument or tool used to complete the action.

  3. Il travaille avec enthousiasme.

    He works with enthusiasm.

    Word by Word: He works with enthusiasm.

    This shows the manner in which the work is being done. Note that the article is omitted after 'avec' here.

  4. Tu viens avec moi ?

    Are you coming with me?

    Word by Word: You come with me?

    When used with people, 'avec' is followed by a disjunctive pronoun like 'moi'.

Common Mistakes

  • Thinking 'avec' is wrong for a person's features.

    Different MeaningL'homme avec la barbe.
    L'homme à la barbe.

    'L'homme avec la barbe' is natural, especially in speech. The preposition à (or au/aux) is the traditional way to describe features, as in 'l'homme à la barbe' or 'la dame au chapeau'.

  • Using 'avec' followed by an infinitive verb.

    Il parle avec sourire.
    Il parle en souriant.

    Unlike English 'with', 'avec' cannot be followed by a verb. To express 'with [verb]-ing', French uses the gérondif (en + participle) or a noun phrase like 'avec un sourire'.

  • Using 'avec' when you mean 'at someone's house'.

    Different MeaningJe suis avec ma grand-mère.
    Je suis chez ma grand-mère.

    'Je suis avec ma grand-mère' is correct, but it means you are in her company, wherever you are. If you mean you are at her home, use chez.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

avecLevel 1With with Avec

Learn This First

To use the preposition 'avec' (with), you need to understand basic sentence structure and how to use articles with nouns, as 'avec' is used to link a noun or pronoun to the rest of the sentence to show accompaniment or means.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.

Words in This Pattern