en dessous
/ɑ̃ də.su/prepositional phrase★Intermediate
general
Underneath or below something, either physically or metaphorically.
Il a trouvé son portefeuille en dessous de la table.
He found his wallet underneath the table.
Les prix sont en dessous de la moyenne.
The prices are below average.
💡
Can refer to physical position or comparative ranking.
Collocations
en dessous deunderneathen dessous de la moyennebelow average
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related Phrases
au-dessusphrase
above
💡Pro Tip
Positional vs. Comparative
'En dessous' can describe physical position (e.g., under a table) or comparative ranking (e.g., below average).
⚡Gold Rule
Prepositional Phrase
Always used with 'de' when referring to a specific object or concept underneath.
📖Word Origin
From 'en' (in) + 'dessous' (underneath), combining to form a prepositional phrase indicating position or comparison.
📝Usage Notes
Often used with 'de' to specify what is being referred to as being underneath.
Word Breakdown
en
in
prepositiondessous
underneath
nounDictionnaire Français-Anglais