Learn French: J'ai trouvé la clé dessous. - I found the key underneath.

J'ai trouvé la clé dessous.

I found the key underneath.

Breakdown of J'ai trouvé la clé dessous.

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Questions & Answers about J'ai trouvé la clé dessous.

Why use dessous instead of sous?

Sous means "under" and must be followed by a noun, like sous la table (under the table). Dessous means "underneath" and is used all by itself when we already know what you are looking under.

Could I use en dessous de like the other phrases in this lesson?

Only if you add the object it was hiding under! Complex prepositions ending in de need to connect to a noun. You could say en dessous de la boîte (underneath the box), but since this sentence doesn't name the object, we just use the standalone word dessous.

I always mix up dessous and dessus. How can I remember which is which?

It is a very common mix-up because they are exact opposites! Dessous (underneath) has the "ou" sound, similar to the English word "soup". Dessus (on top) uses the tight, pursed-lips French "u" sound.

Just a quick refresher: what tense is J'ai trouvé?

It is the passé composé, the most common past tense in French for completed actions. It combines the helping verb ai (from avoir) and the past participle trouvé to mean "I found" or "I have found."