sous

/su/
prepositionBeginner
general

In a position below or beneath something.

Elle a mis ses clés sous le coussin.

She put her keys under the cushion.

💡

Can also indicate being covered or protected by something.

⚖️Law
formal

Under the authority or control of someone or something.

Le pays est sous le régime de la loi martiale.

The country is under martial law.

💡

Used in legal and administrative contexts.

general

In a state of being influenced or affected by something.

Il est sous l'influence de ses amis.

He is under the influence of his friends.

💡

Often used with 'influence' or 'control'.

Collocations

sous la tableunder the tablesous la pluieunder the rainsous la pressionunder pressure

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

sous le soleilphrase
under the sun
sous le chocphrase
under shock

💡Pro Tip

Common Usage

'Sous' is often used with prepositions like 'le' or 'la' to specify the position.

Gold Rule

Positional Preposition

'Sous' is primarily used to describe physical or metaphorical positions below or beneath something.

📖Word Origin

From Old French 'sous', from Latin 'sub' meaning 'under'.

📝Usage Notes

Can be used both literally and figuratively to indicate position or control.

Word Breakdown

sous
under
root
Dictionnaire Français-Anglais