BY, THROUGH / PAR

Hello ! In this new article, let's talk about the French preposition "par" (by). Let's get started! :)

Usually, "par" is used to mark the passage, the move, accross something, the high, the position (of a object or a building or a boat), the part of something we grab (knife, fork). It can also describes the cause, the way, the order, the distribution, to affirm, and many more! 

Let's just see some examples to get familiar with this preposition as it's better to see it in a complete sentence than all alone in a huge text. 

Examples: 

Used to mark the movement and the passage

Il est passé par Lyon. / He went through Lyon.

Voyager par mer, par terre. / To travel by sea, by land.

Aller par le monde. / Go through the world. Jeter quelque chose par la fenêtre. / Throw something out the window.

Passer par de rudes épreuves. / Going through hard times.

Cette idée lui est passé par l'esprit. / This idea came accross his mind.

Is used as in "inside", with the idea of ​​movement in the indicated space, usually in a text or the written form (novels, etc.)

Ils se promènent par la ville. / They are walking through the city.

La lumière se répand par le monde. / The light is spreading through the world.

Le bruit s'est répandu par tout le voisinage. / The noise spread through the whole neighborhood.

The heigh of something in some terms (geography, marine)

Nous étions par trente degrés de latitude. / We were at thirty degrees of latitude.

Par l’avant. / Through, by the front.

Une embarcation par tribord. / A boat by starboard.

Describing the part of something we grab (physically or metaphorically)

Retiens-le par le bras ! / Hold him by the arm!

Prends le couteau par le manche. / Grab the knife by the handle.

Il l'a tiré par les pieds. / He pulled him by the feet.

Je ne sais pas par ou commencer. / I don't know where to start.

The way, the cause, the responsible for something

Il l'a épousée par amour. / He married her for love.

Tu as fait ça par crainte, par haine, par charité./ You acted by fear, by hate, by charity.

Elle a été instruite par un tel. / She was instructed by such (someone).

"Roméo et Juliette" par Shakespeare. / "Romeo and Juliet" by Shakespeare.

Il a obtenu ça par force. / He got it by force.

Je l'ai rencontré par hasard. / I met him by chance.

Ce paquet est arrivé par la poste. / This package arrived by post.

Ils sont arrivés par bâteau. / They arrived by boat.

Marking the time. "During"

Ramasser des pommes par ce beau temps. / Picking up some apples by this nice weather.

Où vas-tu par cette pluie ? / Where are you going by this rain?

Voyager par tous les temps. / Travel in all weathers.

Par temps troublés. / In troubled times.

Par ces temps heureux... / By these happy times ...

To affirm, to swear

Il me l'a assuré par tous les moyens ! He assured me by all means!

Elle dit la vérité, elle l'a juré par tous les Dieux ! / She is telling the truth, she swore by all Gods!

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