Languages › French How and When to Use the Common French Preposition "Sur" Share Flipboard Email Print Patrick Aventurier / Getty Images French Grammar Pronunciation & Conversation Vocabulary Resources For Teachers By ThoughtCo Team Updated on April 09, 2018 The French preposition sur, one of the most common in the French language, usually means "on," but it has a few other meanings as well depending on what it's used with. Here they are. Location un livre sur la table > a book on the tablesur ma route > on my waysur la photo > in the photographsur le stade / le marché > at the stadium / marketsur la chaussée, le boulevard, l'avenue > in the road, boulevard, avenueIl neige sur tout le Canada. > It's snowing all over Canada. Direction tourner sur la gauche > to turn to the leftrevenir sur Paris > to return to Paris Approximate time arriver sur les six heures > to arrive around 6 o'clockElle va sur ses 50 ans. > She's going on 50 (years old).sur une période d'un an > over a period / the course of a year Proportion/Ratio trois fois sur quatre > three times out of fourun enfant sur cinq > one child in fiveune semaine sur deux > every other week Subject/Topic un article sur les roses > an article on rosesune causerie sur l'égalité > a talk on/about equality After Some Verbs Followed by an Indirect Object Sur is also required after certain French verbs and phrases that are followed by an indirect object. Note that there is sometimes no equivalent preposition in English but the French usage is idiomatic. Such verbs and phrase include: acheter quelque chose sur le marché > to buy something at the marketappuyer sur (le bouton) > to press (the button)appuyer sur (le mur) > to lean (on the wall)arriver sur (midi) > to arrive at around (noon)compter sur > to count onconcentrer sur > to concentrate oncopier sur quelqu'un > to copy from someonecroire quelqu'un sur parole > to take someone's word, to take someone at his worddiriger son attention sur > to direct one's attention todonner sur > to overlook, open ontoécrire sur > to write abouts'endormir sur (un livre, son travail) > to fall asleep (over a book, at work)s'étendre sur > to spread out overfermer la porte sur (vous, lui) > to close the door behind (you, him)interroger quelqu'un sur quelque chose > to question someone about somethingse jeter sur quelqu'un > to throw oneself upon someoneloucher sur > to ogleprendre modèle sur quelqu'un > to model oneself on someonequestionner quelqu'un sur quelque chose > to question someone about somethingréfléchir sur > to think about, reflect uponrégner sur > to reign overrejeter une faute sur quelqu'un > to place the blame on someonerester sur la défensive > to stay on the defensiverester sur ses gardes > to keep one's guard uprevenir sur (un sujet) > to go back over (a topic)sauter sur une occasion > to jump at an opportunitytirer sur > to shoot attourner sur (l'église, la droite) > to turn (toward the church, right) Cite this Article Format mla apa chicago Your Citation Team, ThoughtCo. "How and When to Use the Common French Preposition "Sur"." ThoughtCo, Dec. 6, 2021, thoughtco.com/sur-french-preposition-1368921. Team, ThoughtCo. (2021, December 6). How and When to Use the Common French Preposition "Sur". Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/sur-french-preposition-1368921 Team, ThoughtCo. "How and When to Use the Common French Preposition "Sur"." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/sur-french-preposition-1368921 (accessed March 24, 2023). copy citation Featured Video