Asking "Where?" (Où)
To ask for a location in French, use the question word où (where). Notice the grave accent on the letter u—this distinguishes it from the French word ou (which means "or").
When stopping someone on the street to ask for directions, it is polite to begin your question with pardon (excuse me).
| Excuse me, where is the train station? | Pardon, où est la gare ? |
Distance: Far and Near
When answering a "where" question, it often helps to establish the distance first. You can describe how far away a place is using loin (far) and près (near / close).
| Where is the museum? It is far. | Où est le musée ? Il est loin. |
| No, the hotel is very close. | Non, l'hôtel est très près. |
Prepositions of Place
To give a more specific location, you will use prepositions. Here are four essential ones for navigating the city (or finding things around the house):
- devant (in front of)
- derrière (behind)
- à côté de (next to)
- sous (under)
| The car is in front of the house. | La voiture est devant la maison. |
| The dog is behind the house. | Le chien est derrière la maison. |
| The supermarket is next to the bakery. | Le supermarché est à côté de la boulangerie. |
| Where is the cat? Under the table. | Où est le chat ? Sous la table. |
Giving Directions
When a place is not immediately visible, you will need to follow moving directions. You will often hear the verb tourner (to turn) combined with these direction phrases:
- à gauche (to the left)
- à droite (to the right)
| You turn left. | Tu tournes à gauche. |
| You turn right. | Vous tournez à droite. |
If you don't need to turn, you will use the phrase tout droit (straight ahead). This is typically paired with the verb aller (to go).
| Where is the hospital? You go straight ahead. | Où est l'hôpital ? Vous allez tout droit. |
| I go straight, and I turn left. | Je vais tout droit, et je tourne à gauche. |
