Directions in French: How to Ask (and Understand the Answer)
How to ask for directions in French - and just as important, how to understand the answer: tournez à gauche, continuez tout droit, and more.
Ask for directions with où est… ? (where is…?) or comment aller à… ? (how do I get to…?). Understanding the answer matters just as much: tournez à gauche/droite (turn left/right), continuez tout droit (keep going straight), and c’est à côté de… (it’s next to…).
Quick answer
Ask for directions with où est… ? (where is…?) or comment aller à… ? (how do I get to…?). Understanding the answer matters just as much: tournez à gauche/droite (turn left/right), continuez tout droit (keep going straight), and c’est à côté de… (it’s next to…).
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Asking for directions
Où est… ?, comment aller à… ?, c’est loin d’ici ? (is it far from here?), je cherche… (I’m looking for…).
Understanding the answer: movement verbs
Most guides stop at asking - understanding the reply is the actual hard part. Listen for the imperative: tournez à gauche/droite, continuez tout droit, traversez la rue, prenez la première à droite.
Understanding the answer: location words
À côté de (next to), en face de (across from), derrière (behind), devant (in front of), entre (between), au coin de (at the corner of).
Distance and landmarks
C’est à 5 minutes à pied (it’s a 5-minute walk), c’est près du/de la… (it’s near the…), vous ne pouvez pas le manquer (you can’t miss it).
| French | English |
|---|---|
| où est… ? | where is… ? |
| tournez à gauche | turn left |
| continuez tout droit | keep going straight |
| à côté de | next to |
| en face de | across from |
For the transport vocabulary this connects to, see French travel vocabulary; for the wider phrase hub, essential French phrases for travelers.
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Questions about this note
How do you ask where something is in French?
Où est… ?
How do you say turn left/right?
Tournez à gauche / tournez à droite.
What does continuez tout droit mean?
Keep going straight ahead.
How do you say "next to" in French?
À côté de.
How do you ask if something is far?
C'est loin d'ici ?