Learn French: La boulangerie est près du coin de la place. - The bakery is near the corner of the square.

La boulangerie est près du coin de la place.

The bakery is near the corner of the square.

Breakdown of La boulangerie est près du coin de la place.

of / from / any (in negative sentences) / about (concerning)

près

near

Questions & Answers about La boulangerie est près du coin de la place.

Why is it du coin instead of de le coin?

In French, when the preposition de (of/from) is followed by the masculine word for "the" (le), they must combine into a single word: du. Since coin (corner) is masculine, de + le coin becomes du coin.

Why didn't de la place contract into a single word too?

The word place (square) is feminine, so it uses la for "the". Unlike de + le, the combination de + la never contracts. It always remains as two separate words.

Why is there a du after près? Does près always need it?

The French word for "near" or "close to" is actually a two-word phrase: près de. Because the following noun (coin) requires the masculine article le, the de from près de merges with le to form du. You will almost always see a form of de after près when saying you are near a specific thing.

Does the French word place mean the same thing as "place" in English?