Question 1

I usually use tourner for "to turn". What is the difference between tourner and virer here?

Accepted Answer

While tourner is the standard word for "to turn", virer is often used for roads to mean "to bend", "to curve", or "to veer". If a road naturally follows a curve to the left, virer is very descriptive. If a driver actively chooses to take a left turn at an intersection, you would use tourner.

Question 2

Are there any other common meanings for the verb virer that I should know?

Accepted Answer

Yes, it is a very useful word! In everyday French, virer is commonly used informally to mean "to fire" someone from a job (e.g., Il a été viré - He was fired). It is also the standard verb for transferring money between bank accounts (virer de l'argent).

Question 3

I sometimes mix up when to use de after prepositions. Why is it après le pont and not après du pont?

Accepted Answer

Learners often confuse après (after) with près de (near). The preposition après never takes de, so it is followed directly by the noun and its article (après le pont). However, "near the bridge" requires de, which contracts with le to make du (près du pont).

Question 4

Could I say vers la gauche instead of à gauche in this sentence?

Accepted Answer

You could, but it changes the nuance slightly. À gauche means exactly "to the left", which is standard for describing a road's path or giving directions. Vers la gauche means "towards the left", which sounds a bit more vague, as if the road generally wanders in a leftward direction.

La route vire à gauche après le pont.

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