Learning to ask for and give directions is an essential skill for anyone navigating a French-speaking area. Whether you’re a tourist exploring France or a language student looking to practice your French, knowing these phrases will prove invaluable.
Oรน est โ “Where is”
This is the perfect starting point to ask for the location of a place or object.
Excusez-moi, oรน est la gare, s’il vous plaรฎt?
Comment aller ร โ “How to go to”
Use this phrase when you want to know the route or method to reach a certain place.
Pouvez-vous me dire comment aller ร l’hรดtel?
Tout droit โ “Straight ahead”
This term is useful to indicate that one should go directly forward.
Continuez tout droit jusqu’au feu rouge.
Tournez โ “Turn”
When giving or receiving directions, knowing how to indicate a turn is essential.
Tournez ร la premiรจre rue ร votre droite.
ร gauche โ “To the left”
This indicates a turn or direction towards the left.
C’est juste lร , ร gauche du supermarchรฉ.
ร droite โ “To the right”
Instructing to go or turn to the right.
Aprรจs le cafรฉ, prenez ร droite.
Prenez โ “Take”
This verb is utilized when instructing someone to take a certain street or mode of transportation.
Prenez le bus numรฉro 5.
Continuez โ “Continue”
Use this when you should proceed in a given direction or on a certain route.
Continuez pour deux pรขtรฉs de maisons.
Le carrefour โ “The crossroads/intersection”
When describing a specific intersection where one might need to make a turn or choice of direction.
Au carrefour, vous verrez une pharmacie.
Le rond-point โ “The roundabout”
This term is vital when navigating roundabouts, which are common in France.
Au rond-point, prenez la troisiรจme sortie.
Le panneau โ “The sign/signpost”
This noun is essential for following directions based on signage.
Suivez les panneaux pour le centre-ville.
La rue โ “The street”
Discussing locations often involves naming streets, so knowing this word is key.
La boulangerie est rue de Rivoli.
L’avenue โ “The avenue”
A wider type of street or road which is often a main thoroughfare.
L’avenue des Champs-รlysรฉes est trรจs connue.
Le boulevard โ “The boulevard”
A large, multi-lane road, typically with trees lining the sides.
Le boulevard Saint-Michel est tout prรจs d’ici.
La place โ “The square”
An open, typically four-sided, space in a town, which is an important landmark.
Retrouvez-moi ร la place de la Concorde.
ร cรดtรฉ de โ “Next to/Beside”
For articulating that a location is immediately adjacent to another.
La banque est ร cรดtรฉ de l’รฉpicerie.
En face de โ “Opposite/Across from”
To indicate that something lies directly across from another location.
Le cinรฉma est en face de la poste.
Entre โ “Between”
Useful for specifying that a place is situated between two other points.
Le cafรฉ se trouve entre la librairie et la banque.
Prรจs de/Proche de โ “Near/Close to”
Both phrases can be used interchangeably to indicate proximity to a location.
Je cherche un restaurant qui est prรจs du musรฉe.
Using these phrases and terms combined with a polite “s’il vous plaรฎt” (please) and a grateful “merci” (thank you) will make navigating the French-speaking world much smoother. Remembering these basics can take your travel or communication in a French environment from confusing to confident. Keep practicing, and soon, giving and understanding directions in French will be like second nature!