Sans is undoubtedly the most common and straightforward way to say “without” in French. But did you know there are many other nuanced ways to express absence, lack, or a condition where something is missing?

As you deepen your French, you'll find that having a richer vocabulary for such common concepts can make your conversations much more precise and natural.

Let's explore 9 different ways to say “without” in French, and discover when to use each one!

The most common and versatile 'without' – sans

The most common and versatile 'without' – sans

Sans is the primary and most common French word for 'without'.

Unlike some other French words, sans is invariable. This means it doesn't change its form based on gender or number, making it straightforward to use.

Its most frequent use is as a preposition, followed by a noun or a pronoun. It indicates the absence of something or someone.

You can also place sans directly before an infinitive verb to express 'without doing something' or 'without having done something'.

Sans is part of many common French expressions, such as sans doute (without a doubt/probably), sans blague (no kidding), or sans façon (informally/without ceremony).

It inherently carries a negative meaning, so you generally don't use ne...pas with the verb in the same clause when sans is present, unless the verb itself is negated for a different reason.

Mastering sans is crucial for expressing negation and absence in a wide variety of contexts, from simple statements to more complex ideas. It's a word you'll encounter and use constantly.

💡 * Je ne peux pas vivre sans café. (I can't live without coffee.)

• Il est parti sans dire au revoir. (He left without saying goodbye.)
• Elle a acheté une voiture sans permis. (She bought a car without a license.)
• Nous avons mangé sans sel. (We ate without salt.)
• Sans problème ! (No problem!)

The 'devoid of' or 'lacking' – dépourvu de

The “devoid of” or “lacking” – dépourvu de

The French phrase dépourvu de directly translates to “devoid of” or “lacking in”. It's used to express the absence or complete lack of something, often an abstract quality, resource, or characteristic.

Dépourvu is an adjective that agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (e.g., dépourvue, dépourvus, dépourvues). It is always followed by the preposition de (or d' before a vowel) to indicate what is lacking.

This phrase often carries a somewhat formal or literary tone and is frequently used to describe a negative state or a critical assessment. It implies a significant or complete absence, rather than just a small deficiency, and can suggest an inherent lack.

You'll commonly encounter dépourvu de when discussing abstract concepts like emotions, intelligence, resources, or qualities. For example, dépourvu de sens (devoid of meaning), dépourvu de bon sens (lacking common sense), or dépourvu de ressources (lacking resources).

While manquer de also means “to lack”, dépourvu de often suggests a more profound, inherent, or complete absence, and can feel more impactful. Manquer de can imply a shortage or insufficiency, whereas dépourvu de often implies an emptiness or total absence.

Mastering dépourvu de allows you to express a profound lack or absence with precision and elegance in French, enriching your descriptive vocabulary and adding nuance to your expressions.

💡 * Son discours était dépourvu de toute logique. (His speech was devoid of all logic.)

• Elle se sentait dépourvue de courage face à l'épreuve. (She felt devoid of courage facing the ordeal.)
• Le désert est un lieu dépourvu de vie. (The desert is a place devoid of life.)
• Un homme dépourvu de scrupules est dangereux. (A man devoid of scruples is dangerous.)
• La décision semblait dépourvue de bon sens. (The decision seemed to lack common sense.)

The 'deprived of' – privé de

The French expression privé de translates to 'deprived of' or 'without', indicating a lack or absence of something essential. It's a key phrase for describing situations of scarcity or disadvantage.

It is typically used with the verb être (to be) in the construction être privé de + [noun]. This structure clearly states what someone or something is lacking.

As privé functions as an adjective in this construction, it must agree in gender and number with the subject of the sentence. So, you will see privé (masculine singular), privée (feminine singular), privés (masculine plural or mixed), or privées (feminine plural).

The preposition de (of/from) is crucial here. Remember that de contracts with definite articles: de + le becomes du; de + les becomes des. It remains de la for feminine singular and de l' before a vowel or silent 'h' (e.g., de l'eau, de l'argent).

This expression often describes situations where someone lacks a fundamental right, necessity, or privilege, highlighting a state of disadvantage. It conveys a stronger sense of loss than simply 'having no...'

💡 * Il est privé de liberté. (He is deprived of freedom.)

• Elle se sent privée de son enfance. (She feels deprived of her childhood.)
• Nous sommes privés d'électricité depuis hier soir. (We have been without electricity since last night.)
• Les enfants étaient privés de dessert. (The children were deprived of dessert.)
• Je suis privée de mon téléphone. (I am without my phone / My phone has been taken away from me.)

The 'without the knowledge of' – à l'insu de

The French expression à l'insu de translates to "without the knowledge of," "unknown to," or "unbeknownst to" someone. It signifies that an action or event occurred without a particular person being aware of it.

This phrase is used to describe a situation where something happens in secret or without the consent or awareness of a specific individual or group. It often implies a deliberate act of concealment or simply a lack of information on the part of the person mentioned.

À l'insu de is a fixed prepositional phrase. It is always followed by a noun or a stressed pronoun (e.g., moi, toi, lui, elle, nous, vous, eux, elles). The article l' is mandatory and does not change.

The phrase carries a strong implication of secrecy or stealth. Whatever action is being described, it is done behind the back of the person whose knowledge is lacking, often with a subtle nuance of impropriety or surprise when the truth is revealed.

💡 * Il a pris la décision à l'insu de ses parents. (He made the decision without his parents' knowledge.)

• La surprise a été organisée à l'insu de la mariée. (The surprise was organized unbeknownst to the bride.)
• Elle a voyagé à l'insu de son mari. (She traveled without her husband's knowledge.)
• Le cambrioleur est entré à l'insu des voisins. (The burglar entered unknown to the neighbors.)
• J'ai découvert la vérité à l'insu de tous. (I discovered the truth without anyone's knowledge.)

The 'for lack of' or 'in the absence of' – faute de

The French expression faute de translates directly to "for lack of" or "in the absence of." It's used to indicate that something is missing, and this absence leads to a particular outcome or situation.

Grammatically, faute de is always followed by either a noun (without an article) or an infinitive verb. For example, faute de temps (for lack of time) or faute d'avoir étudié (for lack of having studied).

This phrase often implies a negative consequence or a necessity to do something different because the desired or expected element is absent. It sets up a cause-and-effect relationship based on a deficiency.

While sometimes encountered in formal or literary contexts, faute de is also quite common in everyday French, especially in established phrases. It provides a concise way to explain why something isn't happening or why an alternative is chosen.

It's a versatile phrase for explaining limitations or constraints, effectively communicating a 'Plan B' scenario due to the unavailability of a preferred option.

💡 * Faute de temps, nous n'avons pas pu visiter le musée. (For lack of time, we couldn't visit the museum.)

• Faute de preuves, l'accusé a été libéré. (For lack of evidence, the accused was released.)
• Faute d'argent, il a dû renoncer à son voyage. (For lack of money, he had to give up his trip.)
• Faute de mieux, nous prendrons le bus. (For lack of anything better, we'll take the bus.)
• Faute d'avoir réservé, ils n'ont pas eu de table. (For lack of having booked, they didn't get a table.)

The 'free from' or 'exempt from' – exempt de

The French expression exempt de translates directly to 'exempt from' or 'free from' in English. It signifies that something or someone is not subject to a particular obligation, condition, or negative consequence. It's a key phrase for discussions around waivers, immunities, and freedoms.

Exempt functions as an adjective, meaning it must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies (e.g., exempte, exempts, exemptes). Crucially, it is always followed by the preposition de (or d' before a vowel or 'h' muet), which introduces the specific thing one is exempt from. You'll often find it in formal, administrative, or legal contexts, but it's also present in everyday language.

While 'free from' in English can sometimes imply an active release, exempt de primarily describes a state or status of not being affected by something. It's about a permanent or temporary condition of immunity or freedom from a requirement, rather than the act of liberation itself. For example, being exempt de taxes means you are in a tax-free state, not that you were just freed from a specific tax payment.

This versatile phrase applies to various situations. You might hear of someone being exempt de service militaire (exempt from military service), a product exempt de produits chimiques (free from chemicals), or a situation exempte de tout danger (free from all danger). It is particularly useful when discussing regulations, ingredients, or potential risks.

💡 *Ce produit est exempt de tout colorant artificiel. (This product is free from all artificial coloring.)
*Les étudiants boursiers sont exempts de frais d'inscription. (Scholarship students are exempt from registration fees.)
*Elle espère être exempte de ses obligations ce week-end. (She hopes to be free from her obligations this weekend.)
*Son dossier est exempt de toute erreur. (His file is free from any error.)

The 'except for' or 'apart from' – sauf

The French word sauf directly translates to “except for” or “apart from” in English, serving as an important preposition to indicate exclusion.

You can use sauf before nouns, pronouns, or even infinitive verbs to specify what is being excluded from a general statement. It is invariable, meaning its form does not change.

Beyond its direct use, sauf also appears in expressions like sauf que (except that) or sauf si (unless if), adding more complexity to its usage in sentences.

💡 *Tout le monde est venu sauf Paul. (Everyone came except for Paul.)
*J'aime tous les fruits sauf les bananes. (I like all fruits apart from bananas.)
*Elle travaille tous les jours sauf le dimanche. (She works every day except Sunday.)
*Rien ne s'est passé sauf qu'il était en retard. (Nothing happened except that he was late.)
*Toutes les portes sont fermées sauf celle-ci. (All doors are closed except this one.)

The 'without (a verb action)' – sans que (+ subjonctif)

To express "without (a verb action)" in French, you often use the conjunction sans que.

A crucial rule to remember is that sans que always requires the subjunctive mood in the following clause. This is because it expresses something hypothetical, uncertain, or contrary to fact.

This construction is used when you want to convey that an action did not happen, or that something occurred without another action taking place. It implies a lack of concurrence or a condition that was not met.

If the subject of both clauses is the same, you can often simplify by using sans followed by an infinitive verb (e.g., Il est parti sans dire au revoir - He left without saying goodbye). However, sans que is necessary when the subjects are different.

💡 *Il est parti sans que je le sache. (He left without me knowing it.)
*Elle a réussi l'examen sans qu'elle ait beaucoup étudié. (She passed the exam without having studied much.)
*Nous avons mangé sans qu'il nous rejoigne. (We ate without him joining us.)
*Ne fais rien sans que je te le demande. (Don't do anything without me asking you to.)

1. The 'bare of' or 'stripped of' – dénué de

To express 'bare of', 'stripped of', or 'devoid of' in French, the most common and precise phrase is dénué de.

Dénué is an adjective, meaning it must agree in gender and number with the noun it modifies. It is always followed by the preposition de (or d' before a vowel). The forms are: dénué de (masculine singular), dénuée de (feminine singular), dénués de (masculine plural), dénuées de (feminine plural).

This phrase is typically used to describe a lack of something abstract or intangible, such as qualities, feelings, or meaning. It often carries a stronger sense of absence or emptiness than simply using sans (without), implying that something essential or expected is missing.

You'll frequently encounter dénué de in expressions like dénué de sens (meaningless), dénué de tout intérêt (devoid of all interest), or dénué de logique (illogical/devoid of logic), highlighting its use for significant absences.

💡 * Son argument était dénué de tout fondement. (His argument was stripped of all basis.)

• Elle se sentait dénuée de toute énergie après la longue journée. (She felt devoid of all energy after the long day.)
• Un paysage dénué de végétation peut être très aride. (A landscape bare of vegetation can be very arid.)
• Leurs propos étaient dénués de sens. (Their remarks were meaningless / devoid of sense.)
• Cette décision est dénuée de toute considération humaine. (This decision is stripped of all human consideration.)

Are there other ways to say 'without' in French?

Are there other ways to say “without” in French?

Our list features the most common ways to say “without” in French, primarily focusing on sans. But French, like any rich language, offers nuanced alternatives, from more formal expressions to literary turns of phrase, and even specific constructions for different contexts.

You can also do an online search for “autres façons de dire sans” or “synonymes de sans en français” to explore a wider range of options, particularly in specialized contexts or regional dialects.

You might discover some interesting alternatives to sans on such lists. Of course, always make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you incorporate it into your vocabulary.

Pay attention as you read, watch, and listen to things in French — you may discover different ways to express the absence of something or someone.

And if you’re looking for a comprehensive overview of how sans and its related concepts are used, the WordReference entry for sans is an excellent place to start!

I hope you found this article helpful in navigating the nuances of 'without' in French. As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry beautifully put it: On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux. (One sees clearly only with the heart. What is essential is invisible to the eye.) This reminds us that sometimes, what is 'without' can be the most profound.