Contre

French preposition contre
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French preposition

The preposition contre usually means "against," but it has other meanings in certain contexts.

1) Physical contact

se mettre contre une porte   to stand against a door
s’asseoir contre quelqu’un   to sit next to someone

2) Opposition

je vote contre le président en exercice   I’m voting against the incumbent president
c’est un acte contre nature   it’s an act against nature

3) Defense / Protection

s’abriter contre la pluie   to take shelter from the rain
s’assurer contre l’incendie   to insure oneself against fire

4) Exchange

échanger un stylo contre un crayon   to exchange a pen for a pencil
ceder contre la promesse que …   to agree in return for the promis that …

5) Verbs with contre

Many verbs need contre in front of a noun or stressed pronoun.

6) Expressions with contre

French antonym Antonym: pour

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French preposition contre

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