Contre is a small French word with a wide reach. Its core meaning is “against,” but depending on the sentence it can also translate as “for,” “to,” or “however.” It works mainly as a preposition, though it also appears as an adverb and as a noun.

Part of speech

Contre can function in three ways:

• As a preposition, meaning “against,” as in contre le mur – “against the wall.”
• As an adverb, mainly in the fixed phrase par contre – “however,” “on the other hand.”
• As a noun, meaning “a con” or “a downside,” as in le pour et le contre – “the pros and cons.”

When contre means “against”

This is the most common use. It covers physical position, opposition, and competition.

• S’appuyer contre un mur – “To lean against a wall”
• Se battre contre quelqu’un – “To fight against someone”
• Voter contre une loi – “To vote against a law”
• Jouer contre une autre équipe – “To play against another team”

It is also used when giving a score or a ratio, where English often uses “to” rather than “against”:

• Trois voix contre deux – “Three votes to two”
• Dix contre un – “Ten to one”

When contre means “for”

Contre takes on the meaning of “for” in the specific context of exchanging one thing for another. English uses “for” here, but French keeps contre, since the underlying idea is that one item is given up in return for another, almost as a trade-off.

• Échanger des dollars contre des euros – “To exchange dollars for euros”
• Troquer un livre contre un autre – “To trade a book for another one”
• Parier de l’argent contre une promesse – “To bet money for a promise”

Literally, échanger des dollars contre des euros means “to exchange dollars against euros.” Figuratively, and in normal English, it means “to exchange dollars for euros.”

Contre versus pour

Pour is in many ways the opposite of contre, and the two are often used together to show two sides of an issue.

• Pour means “for,” “in favour of,” or “in order to.”
• Contre means “against” or “opposed to.”

Compare:

• Voter pour un candidat – “To vote for a candidate”
• Voter contre un candidat – “To vote against a candidate”
• Un argument pour – “An argument for”
• Un argument contre – “An argument against”

Contre as a noun

Used as a noun, contre refers to the negative side of an argument, or, in boxing, to a counter-punch.

• Le pour et le contre – “The pros and cons.” Literally, “the for and the against.”
• Un contre – “A counter” (in boxing, a counter-punch thrown in response to an opponent’s attack).

Par contre

Par contre is a common everyday expression used to introduce a contrast. Literally, it means “by against,” which makes no sense in English, so it is always translated figuratively.

• Par contre – “However” or “on the other hand”
• J’aime le café, par contre je n’aime pas le thé. – “I like coffee, however I do not like tea.”

Synonyms and alternative expressions

For the sense of “against”:

• À l’encontre de – “Against” or “contrary to”
• Face à – “Faced with” or “against”
• Opposé à – “Opposed to”

For par contre, meaning “however”:

• Cependant – “However”
• En revanche – “On the other hand”
• Mais – “But”

Examples in context

• Il est contre l’idée de déménager. – “He is against the idea of moving.”
• Nous avons échangé nos billets contre des places meilleures. – “We exchanged our tickets for better seats.”
• Il a de bons arguments pour et contre ce projet. – “He has good arguments for and against this project.”
• Le magasin est fermé le dimanche, par contre il ouvre tôt le lundi. – “The shop is closed on Sunday, however it opens early on Monday.”

Summary

• Contre usually means “against,” used for opposition, position, and competition.
• In the specific context of trading or exchanging one thing for another, contre means “for.”
• Pour and contre are near opposites, often paired to weigh up both sides of an issue.
• As a noun, contre means “a con” or a downside, and in boxing, a counter-punch.
• Par contre is a set phrase meaning “however,” even though its literal translation makes no sense.