Usage note : at

When at is used as a straightforward preposition it is translated by à :

at the airport

= à l’aéroport

at midnight

= à minuit

at the age of 50

= à l’âge de 50 ans

Remember that à + le always becomes au and

à + les always becomes aux (au bureau, aux bureaux).

When at means at the house, shop, etc. of, it is translated by chez :

at Amanda’s

= chez Amanda

at the hairdresser’s

= chez le coiffeur

If you have doubts about how to translate a phrase or idiom beginning with at (at the top of, at home, at a guess etc.) you should consult the appropriate noun entry (top, home, guess etc.). This dictionary contains usage notes on such topics as age, the clock, length measurement, games and sports etc. Many of these use the preposition at.

at also often appears in English as the second element of a phrasal verb (look at, aim at, etc.). For translations, look at the appropriate verb entry (look, aim etc.).

at is used after certain nouns, adjectives and verbs in English (her surprise at, an attempt at, annoyed at etc.). For translations, consult the appropriate noun, adjective or verb entry (surprise, attempt, annoy etc.).

In the entry at, you will find particular usages and idiomatic expressions which do not appear elsewhere in the dictionary.

Big English-French dictionary. 2003.