French prepositions
en vs. dans: how to choose
Both translate as 'in', but 'en' measures duration/category while 'dans' measures a future point or a physical container.
The decision: Already happened, stating how long it took? → en. Still ahead of you, counted from now? → dans.
The choices at a glance
| Choose | When to use it | Pattern and example |
|---|---|---|
| en | How long something took, or a category/material. | Il a fini en deux heures. |
| dans | How far in the future, or inside a physical container. | Il arrive dans deux heures. |
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