👉 See also: Par hasard (by chance) Word of the Day lesson »
Level A2-B1 (Upper Beginner, Lower Intermediate)
🎧 Audio by Marie Assel Cambier, a native speaker & professional voice artist from France
The French Word of the Day is par, a preposition meaning “by,” “through,” or “per.” You’ll hear this little word everywhere in French! Listen to the native audio and learn its seven main usages with clear A2–B1 level example sentences you can use in real conversation.
✅ Meaning
✅ Pronunciation
✅ Example sentences
✅ Related Words & Expressions
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📘 Par meaning
The French preposition par can mean “by,” “through,” “via,” “out of,” or “per,” depending on how it’s used in a sentence. It’s a highly versatile preposition with the following main usages.
| Usage | Example French | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Means / Transport | Il envoie le colis par avion. | He’s sending the package by plane. |
| 2. Route / Via | Nous irons à Nice par Marseille. | We’ll go to Nice via Marseille. |
| 3. Movement / Entry | L’eau est passée par la porte. | The water came in through the door. |
| 4. Position / Body Part | Elle l’a tenu par la main. | She held him by the hand. |
| 5. Passive Agent | Ce tableau a été peint par un artiste célèbre. | This painting was painted by a famous artist. |
| 6. Cause / Motivation | Il a agi par jalousie. | He acted out of jealousy. |
| 7. Per / Frequency | Elle gagne 50 euros par heure. | She earns 50 euros per hour. |
🎧 Par pronunciation
👉 The pronunciation of par is /paʁ/ — roughly “parr,” with a soft French “r” at the end.
📝 Par example sentences
1. Means / Transport
Nous sommes arrivés par le métro, car c’était plus rapide.
We arrived by metro because it was faster.
(Note: “en métro” is more common in everyday French, while “par le métro” emphasizes the route or channel.)
2. Route / Via
On passera par Lyon pour éviter les bouchons.
We’ll go through Lyon to avoid traffic jams.
3. Through / Movement / Entry
Le chat est sorti par la fenêtre ouverte.
The cat went out through the open window.
4. Position / Body Part
Il m’a pris par le bras pour m’aider à traverser la rue.
He took me by the arm to help me cross the street.
5. Passive Agent
La porte a été réparée par mon voisin.
The door was repaired by my neighbor.
6. Cause / Motivation
Elle a répondu par politesse, pour ne pas le vexer.
She answered out of politeness, so as not to offend him.
7. Per / Frequency
Je prends deux cafés par jour, un le matin et un après déjeuner.
I have two coffees per day — one in the morning and one after lunch.
👉 Check out my lesson on pour (for, in order to), another important preposition. »
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🔗 Related words and expressions
- par contre, par rapport à — on the other hand
- finir par + infinitive — to end up doing something
- par hasard — by chance
- par terre — on the ground
- par ici / par là — this way / that way
- par exemple — for example
- par amour — out of love
- deux fois par jour — twice per day
📚 Explore related lessons
👉 French passive voice
👉 French prepositions overview
👉 Finir — to finish
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