1) Je ne me ferai plus prendre à l’avenir.
I won’t get caught out again in the future.
2) J’ai confiance dans l’avenir.
I have faith in the future.
3) Le bâtiment le plus haut du monde.
The tallest building in the world.
4) Elle avait confiance en moi.
She had faith in me.
5) Je reviendrai dans une heure.
I’ll be back in an hour.
6) Je peins une aquarelle par jour en trente minutes maximum.
I paint a watercolour a day in thirty minutes max.
7) Ils sont partis se promener au parc.
They have gone for a walk in the park.
8) J’ai perdu ma bague dans le parc.
I lost my ring in the park.
9) Jamais de ma vie je n’ai eu aussi peur.
Never in my life have I been so scared.
If you got them all correct, Chapeau ! If not, it’s time to regroup.
Breaking out of the trap
When we first learn French, we tend to learn word by word.
“Dans” meaning “in” is usually one of the first words we clock, so that equation becomes hard-wired in our minds. Think of the English word “in” and “dans” flashes up in our minds.
But look back at the examples above and you’ll see they all contain the English preposition “in”.
In French, though we have many different prepositions: “à, dans, en, de…”
The contrast between our mental default “in=dans” and the reality of the French can leave us feeling confused. We start thinking of “dans”, then we realise it’s not right, but we’re at a loss to know what the right word is.
Breaking out of this trap requires taking a step back.
First, we need to realise there’s a problem. Beginning from the premise:
in= dans except in circumstances A, B, C, D, E…
is bound to lead to confusion, especially when we’re trying to think fast. We need the humility to understand that translating from our native language is not the best approach for learning a new one.
Focus on the target
If, instead of thinking about translating individual words, we think only in term of how ideas are expressed in the target language, things become much more manageable. Give it a try with the groups of ideas below.
A point in the future when something will happen
Je reviendrai dans une heure.
Lorsque vous êtes stressée, demandez-vous si la source de votre stress aura beaucoup d’importance dans une semaine.
The time something takes to be done
Je peins une aquarelle par jour en trente minutes maximum.
Cette formation permet d’apprendre en une heure les gestes de premiers secours.
Le carburant est disponible partout et le plein est fait en quelques minutes.
Un repas gastronomique servi en trente minutes.
Time as a container
Il est tombé malade dans la nuit.
Je le ferai dans la semaine.
The future as a projection
Je ne me ferai plus prendre à l’avenir.
À l’entracte vous avez la possibilité de parler avec les membres de notre ensemble.
A place as a location
Ils sont partis se promener au parc.
Elles étaient assises au jardin.
A place as a container
J’ai perdu ma bague dans le parc.
Dans le jardin se dresse un vieux pommier.
A subset of a larger whole
Jamais de ma vie je n’ai eu aussi peur.
Le bâtiment le plus haut du monde.
Confidence in someone
Elle avait confiance en moi.
J’ai confiance en Dieu.
Confidence in some (specific) thing
J’ai confiance dans l’avenir.
J’ai confiance dans ce gouvernement.
or
Je fais confiance au gouvernement.
If this seems like a lot to take in, remember that memorising is a job in itself, but that it’s also an attainable goal. Most of us need to use a piece of knowledge five or six times at separated intervals before it sticks. Conversation practice is one way of getting the miles on the clock. You can also write in French, preferably with the help of a native-speaking tutor to keep you on the straight and narrow.
As for sources for new ideas to absorb, the lessons on this website are as good a starting point as any.
