Thinking of the word "for" in French, you might immediately think of "pour." And while that's a great start, the reality is a bit more nuanced. Just like in English, where "for" can mean many things depending on the context – purpose, duration, recipient, and more – French also offers a variety of words to convey these different meanings.

Mastering these distinctions is key to speaking and writing French naturally and accurately. It helps you express yourself with precision and avoid common misunderstandings.

So, if you're ready to move beyond just "pour" and enrich your French vocabulary, let's explore nine different ways to say "for" in French!

The standard 'for' (purpose, destination, recipient) – pour

The standard 'for' (purpose, destination, recipient) – pour

Pour is the most common and versatile French preposition for 'for'. It expresses a wide range of meanings, including purpose, destination, recipient, and duration.

One of the primary uses of pour is to express purpose or intention, often translating to 'in order to' or 'for the purpose of'. It answers the question 'why?'

You'll use pour to indicate a destination, whether it's a physical place or a future event. In this context, it often translates as 'to' or 'for'.

Pour is also used to specify the recipient of something or the beneficiary of an action, meaning 'for' someone or something.

When talking about a period of time in the future, pour indicates 'for' a certain duration. This is distinct from past or ongoing durations.

While pour indicates a future duration, pendant is typically used for durations that have occurred in the past or are currently ongoing. For example, Je suis parti pour deux semaines (I left for two weeks - future trip) vs. J'ai travaillé pendant deux heures (I worked for two hours - past action).

Pour can also express an opinion (e.g., pour moi - 'for me', 'in my opinion'), a reason, a comparison, or an exchange (e.g., payer pour quelque chose - 'to pay for something').

Like ami/amie, pour is a highly versatile preposition suitable for both formal and informal contexts. It's a fundamental building block for expressing complex ideas in French.

Mastering pour is essential for French learners. Its diverse applications mean understanding context is crucial, but its core meanings revolve around purpose, destination, and benefit.

💡 * Je travaille pour apprendre le français. (I work to learn French.)

• Nous partons pour la France demain. (We are leaving for France tomorrow.)
• Ce cadeau est pour ma mère. (This gift is for my mother.)
• Il est parti pour trois jours. (He left for three days.)
• Pour moi, c'est une excellente idée. (For me, it's an excellent idea.)

The 'for' indicating a completed duration – pendant

Pendant is the primary French word used to express 'for' when referring to a specific duration of time.

Its crucial nuance is that it describes a period during which an action or state occurred and has since concluded. Think of it as 'during' a specific, finished timeframe.

You'll typically find pendant followed directly by the duration itself, such as pendant deux jours (for two days) or pendant un an (for a year).

For instance, if you say J'ai dormi pendant huit heures, you mean 'I slept for eight hours,' and that sleeping period is now over.

It can also indicate a defined block of time, even if the main verb isn't past tense, as long as the duration is complete within the context: Je travaillerai pendant toute la journée. (I will work for the entire day.) The 'entire day' is a completed duration of the future action.

Remember, pendant emphasizes the entirety of the duration, marking it as a completed segment of time, distinguishing it from other ways to express 'for' (like depuis for ongoing actions).

💡 * J'ai étudié pendant trois heures. (I studied for three hours.)

• Elle a vécu à Londres pendant cinq ans. (She lived in London for five years.)
• Nous avons attendu le bus pendant vingt minutes. (We waited for the bus for twenty minutes.)
• Le magasin est resté fermé pendant tout le week-end. (The store remained closed for the entire weekend.)
• Il a voyagé pendant un mois en Asie. (He traveled for a month in Asia.)

The 'for' indicating an ongoing duration from the past – depuis

The French word depuis is crucial for expressing duration, often translated as "since" or "for" when referring to an action or state that began in the past and continues into the present.

It specifically indicates that something has been happening continuously from a past point in time up until now. This is its key distinction from other duration indicators.

In French, when an action is ongoing, depuis is almost always used with the present tense for the main verb, even though in English we would use the present perfect continuous (e.g., "I have been living").

It's vital not to confuse depuis with pendant. While pendant means "for" a completed duration (e.g., "I worked for two hours"), depuis signifies a duration that is still happening (e.g., "I have been working for two hours and am still working").

When you see French present tense + depuis, remember to translate it into English using the present perfect continuous ("I have been doing") or present perfect ("I have done") to accurately convey the ongoing nature of the action.

💡 *J'habite ici depuis 2010. (I have been living here since 2010.)
*Elle étudie le français depuis trois ans. (She has been studying French for three years.)
*Nous attendons le bus depuis vingt minutes. (We have been waiting for the bus for twenty minutes.)
*Il travaille dans cette entreprise depuis qu'il est diplômé. (He has been working in this company since he graduated.)

The 'for' meaning 'in favor of' or 'on behalf of' – en faveur de

The French phrase en faveur de directly translates to 'in favor of' or 'on behalf of' in English. It's a key expression for indicating support, advocacy, or an action taken for the benefit of someone or something.

Its primary use is to express support or preference for an idea, a person, or a cause, signifying alignment or approval. Think of it as saying 'I am for this' or 'I support this'.

Additionally, en faveur de can convey that an action is being performed for the benefit or in the interest of another party, acting 'on behalf of' them, often in a more formal context.

Always followed by a noun or a pronoun, en faveur de functions as a prepositional phrase, connecting the action or sentiment to its beneficiary.

💡 * Je suis en faveur de cette proposition. (I am in favor of this proposal.)

• Elle a parlé en faveur de son collègue. (She spoke on behalf of her colleague.)
• Le vote était en faveur du changement. (The vote was in favor of change.)
• Il a agi en faveur des droits de l'homme. (He acted in favor of human rights.)
• Cette loi est en faveur des petites entreprises. (This law is in favor of small businesses.)

The 'for' meaning 'because of' (negative cause) – à cause de

In French, to express 'because of' or 'due to,' you'll frequently encounter the phrase à cause de. It's a fundamental expression for linking an event to its cause.

À cause de literally translates to 'because of' or 'on account of'. It acts as a prepositional phrase, introducing the reason or origin of an action or situation.

Crucially, à cause de almost always implies a negative or undesirable cause or consequence. Think of it as 'blaming' something for an outcome. If the result is bad, this is your go-to phrase.

Grammatically, à cause de is followed by a noun or a stressed pronoun (e.g., moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles). The 'de' part contracts with definite articles (le, les) to become du, des (e.g., à cause du bruit, à cause des problèmes).

To fully grasp à cause de, it's essential to contrast it with grâce à. While à cause de signifies a negative cause ('because of' something bad), grâce à means 'thanks to' and is used for positive outcomes ('because of' something good).

Remember: use à cause de when the reason you're stating leads to a problematic, unfortunate, or simply non-positive result. It's perfect for explaining why something went wrong.

💡 * Il est en retard à cause du trafic. (He is late because of the traffic.)

• Elle n'a pas pu venir à cause de sa maladie. (She couldn't come because of her illness.)
• Le match a été annulé à cause de la pluie. (The game was canceled due to the rain.)
• Ils ont perdu leur argent à cause d'un mauvais investissement. (They lost their money because of a bad investment.)
• Nous avons dû changer nos plans à cause de la grève. (We had to change our plans because of the strike.)

The 'for' meaning 'thanks to' (positive cause) – grâce à

In French, when you want to express a cause or reason that led to a positive outcome, the most appropriate phrase to use is grâce à. It directly translates to 'thanks to' or 'owing to' in English.

Unlike à cause de (because of), which can be neutral or negative, grâce à always carries a positive connotation. It signifies that the following element was beneficial or instrumental in achieving a favorable result.

Grâce à is a prepositional phrase that is followed by a noun or a pronoun. It never precedes a verb in its infinitive form or a clause. For example, you would say grâce à toi (thanks to you) or grâce à son aide (thanks to his/her help).

The word grâce itself means 'grace' or 'favor' in French, which helps to understand the inherently positive nature of the phrase. It implies that a good outcome occurred due to some 'grace' or beneficial influence.

Remember to use grâce à exclusively when attributing a positive cause to a situation or event. It's perfect for expressing gratitude or acknowledging a helpful factor.

💡 * Nous avons gagné le match grâce à notre entraîneur. (We won the match thanks to our coach.)

• J'ai réussi mon examen grâce à tes conseils. (I passed my exam thanks to your advice.)
• Grâce à la technologie, la communication est plus facile. (Thanks to technology, communication is easier.)
• Il a trouvé un bon emploi grâce à sa persévérance. (He found a good job thanks to his perseverance.)

The 'for' implied by the verb 'to wait' – attendre

In French, the verb attendre directly translates to “to wait for,” meaning it already incorporates the preposition “for” within its meaning. This is a crucial distinction for English speakers when learning French.

Unlike in English where you say 'to wait for someone/something,' you do not use the preposition pour after attendre in French. Adding pour would be grammatically incorrect and is a common pitfall for learners.

Instead, the person or thing you are waiting for becomes the direct object of the verb attendre. For example, you 'wait the bus' (j'attends le bus) rather than 'wait for the bus' (j'attends pour le bus).

💡 * J'attends le bus à l'arrêt. (I'm waiting for the bus at the stop.)

• Elle attend ses amis devant le cinéma. (She's waiting for her friends in front of the cinema.)
• Nous attendons notre tour depuis une heure. (We've been waiting for our turn for an hour.)
• Tu m'attends à quelle heure ? (What time are you waiting for me?)
• Ils attendent le bon moment pour agir. (They are waiting for the right moment to act.)

The 'for' meaning 'regarding' or 'concerning' – concernant

The 'for' meaning 'regarding' or 'concerning' – concernant

Concernant is a versatile French preposition that translates directly to 'regarding,' 'concerning,' 'about,' or 'with respect to' in English. It's used to introduce the subject or topic of a statement.

Unlike the preposition pour (which often means 'for' in the sense of 'for the benefit of' or 'in order to'), concernant specifically indicates what something is about or related to. It always precedes the noun or pronoun it modifies.

You'll often encounter concernant in written communication, formal discussions, or when you need to be precise about the subject matter. It provides a clear and professional way to transition to a new topic or specify details.

💡 * Concernant votre demande, nous avons besoin de plus d'informations. (Regarding your request, we need more information.)

• J'ai une question concernant le nouveau projet. (I have a question concerning the new project.)
• Le rapport concernant les ventes trimestrielles est prêt. (The report regarding quarterly sales is ready.)
• Quelles sont les règles concernant le stationnement ici ? (What are the rules concerning parking here?)

The 'for' meaning 'in exchange for' – en échange de

When you want to express the idea of "for" in the sense of "in exchange for" or "in return for" in French, the most appropriate and common phrase to use is en échange de.

This phrase clearly conveys the idea of a trade-off, a compensation, or a reciprocal action. It is used when one thing is given, done, or received in return for another, emphasizing a transaction or reciprocity.

Grammatically, en échange de acts as a prepositional phrase and is always followed by a noun or a pronoun. For instance, you would say en échange de votre aide (in exchange for your help) or en échange de cela (in exchange for that).

You will frequently encounter en échange de in contexts involving services, goods, favors, or information where something is given or received as a quid pro quo. It's a precise way to indicate that an action or item is conditional upon another.

💡 *Je te donnerai mon livre en échange de ton stylo. (I will give you my book in exchange for your pen.)
*Elle a offert ses services en échange d'un repas. (She offered her services in exchange for a meal.)
*Nous avons reçu des informations précieuses en échange de notre silence. (We received valuable information in exchange for our silence.)
*Qu'est-ce que tu me donnes en échange de ce service ? (What do you give me in exchange for this service?)
*Ils ont accepté de travailler gratuitement en échange de l'expérience. (They agreed to work for free in exchange for the experience.)

Are there other ways to say 'for' in French?

Are there other ways to say 'for' in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say 'for' in French. However, French, like any rich language, offers nuances and alternative expressions, some regional, some more formal, and some highly idiomatic, that convey similar meanings.

You can also do an online search for 'comment dire pour en ___' followed by a specific Francophone country or region to discover local expressions or common substitutes.

You might find some interesting synonyms or alternative phrases that translate to 'for' in different contexts. Always make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you use it, as direct translations can often miss subtle implications.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover various prepositions or constructions that effectively convey the idea of 'for' in different situations, like à, en, or even verb conjugations.

And if you’re looking for more comprehensive details on the nuances of 'for' and its many equivalents, the WordReference entry for pour is an excellent resource to explore its various uses and idiomatic expressions.

I hope you found this article helpful in demystifying the uses of 'for' in French. As Nicolas Boileau-Despréaux wisely put it: Ce que l'on conçoit bien s'énonce clairement, Et les mots pour le dire arrivent aisément. (What is well conceived is clearly stated, And the words to say it come easily.) Mastering these small but mighty words is key to clear communication.