sans

sans — preposition

1. indicating that a particular person, thing, or quality is absent or not present;

1.介系詞B2
釋義

indicating that a particular person, thing, or quality is absent or not present; a more literary or playful way of saying 'without'.

例句

Defne walked into the interview room sans résumé and still got the job.

sans + concrete noun in a professional context

The café serves all its cakes sans sugar for health-conscious customers.

sans + noun describing food preparation

同義詞
  • without

    the standard everyday preposition; far more common across all registers

  • lacking

    adjective rather than preposition; carries a stronger sense of deficiency or need

  • minus

    informal and often used in numerical or concrete contexts, e.g. 'minus the cheese'

反義詞
  • with

    the direct opposite; indicates presence or inclusion

文法句型

sans + [noun phrase]

用法筆記

Common in formal writing, literature, and self-consciously playful or humorous contexts. In everyday spoken English, 'without' is the natural choice. Also appears in fixed expressions such as 'sans serif' (referring to typefaces without decorative strokes).

常見錯誤

❌I forgot my keys, so I am locked out sans my bag.
✅I forgot my keys, so I am locked out without my bag.
💡'sans' sounds unnatural and overly literary for such a casual everyday situation; use 'without' instead.
❌She left the room sans saying goodbye.
✅She left the room without saying goodbye.
💡'sans' is rarely used before a gerund (-ing form); 'without' is the standard preposition in that structure.