GENERAL INFO

Sans is a preposition meaning "without." It indicates the absence of something or someone.

USAGE

It usually precedes a noun, a pronoun, or an infinitive verb.

Examples: "Je suis sans voiture." (I am without a car.) "Sans lui, nous sommes perdus." (Without him, we are lost.) "Elle est partie sans dire au revoir." (She left without saying goodbye.)

TRAPS

When sans is followed by a noun, that noun typically does not take an indefinite or partitive article. For example, say "sans argent" (without money), not "sans de l'argent." Use a definite article only if the noun is specific: "sans le livre" (without *the* book).