other

près de

near

French phrase: près de

Meaning in English:
près de means "near," "close to," or "not far from."

Explanation:

près means "near" or "close."
de is a preposition that means "of," "from," or "about," but here it functions as part of the phrase that shows proximity to something or someone.

Together, près de is used to indicate that something is geographically or figuratively close to something else.

Usage:

Spatial proximity:
Il habite près de la gare.
(He lives near the train station.)
Approximate quantities or times:
Nous arriverons près de midi.
(We will arrive around noon.)

Synonyms:

à côté de (next to)
proche de (close to)
non loin de (not far from)
aux alentours de (around)

Antonyms:

loin de (far from)

Summary:

près de is a common French prepositional phrase used to denote nearness or closeness with respect to location, time, quantity, and sometimes relationship. It is versatile and frequently appears in both literal and figurative contexts.