en dessous
/ɑ̃ də.su/
underneath
Elle a caché ses clés en dessous du tapis.
She hid her keys underneath the rug.
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
Related Phrases
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