Do you need the fastest route to the Champs-Élysées? Wondering which street will take you to the Tour Eiffel (Eiffel Tower)? Maybe you just want to find les toilettes (the bathroom) in French. As you can see, it’s useful to know a few French phrases for travel to help you ask for and understand directions!
If you happen to get turned around while you’re in an interesting new place, it may lead you to inspiring conversations and experiences. Don’t be afraid to get lost a little — then use the helpful phrases in this guide for navigating a new adventure. Take Rosetta Stone’s all-in-one app along with you, in case you need some quick assistance.
Table of Contents
How to say ‘direction’ in French
Most directional questions in French don’t use the word “direction” overtly, but the idea is implied.
If you want to say “direction” in French:
- Use les indications (the directions) to refer to the step-by-step instructions on how to get somewhere.
- Use le sens (the direction) to talk about which way something or someone goes, as in Je suis allée dans le mauvais sens. (“I went the wrong direction/way.”)
What are the four directions in French?
Knowing the four cardinal points on a rose des vents (compass rose) is a good way to start understanding train routes, highways, the entrances and exits to underground stations, and the relative positions of cities in French-speaking countries. This knowledge also helps with small talk if you get the chance to chat with locals about where they reside, and to converse about your travels.
| French Direction | Pronunciation | English Translation |
| nord | nor | north |
| sud | soo-d | south |
| est | ehst | east |
| ouest | wehst | west |
Note that, like English, these directions are capitalized when they are part of a proper noun. For example, “North America” in French is Amérique du Nord. If the direction word isn’t part of a proper noun, it’s not capitalized in French.
How to use ‘north’ in French
The word for “north” in French is nord. The phrases au nord (to the north) and du nord (of the/from the north) follow French grammar rules by including the contractions à (to) + le (the) and de (from/of) + le (the).
- L’Europe se trouve au nord de l’Afrique. = Europe is located to the north of Africa.
- Le Mexique est en Amérique du Nord. = Mexico is in North America.
- Est-ce que vous êtes déjà allée dans le nord de l’Italie ? = Have you ever been to the north of Italy?
- Je suis allée dans le nord du Japon et en Inde. = I went to the north of Japan and to India.
How to use ‘south’ in French
To say “south” in French, say sud. Notice the contractions au (to the) and du (of/from the) in these examples as well.
- Je suis née en Amérique du Sud il y a quinze ans. = I was born in South America 15 years ago.
- L’Antarctique se trouve au sud de l’Afrique. = Antarctica is located to the south of Africa.
- J’ai pris le train vers le sud pour la France. = I took the train toward the south headed to France.
- Je vis dans le sud de l’Italie. = I live in the south of Italy.
How to use ‘east’ in French
Use est to say “east” in French. Don’t confuse it with est meaning “he/she/it is.” The French pronunciation is your clue. When you mean “east,” you will pronounce both consonants, so it will rhyme with the English word “best.”
Notice that the article le attaches to the word est because it starts with a vowel, following rules for articles in French and eliminating the need to use a contraction with à or de.
- L’Italie se trouve à l’est de la France. = Italy is located to the east of France.
- Pour finir, j’ai conduit vers l’est jusqu’en Allemagne. = Lastly, I drove east to Germany.
- Le soleil se lève toujours à l’est. = The sun always rises in the east.
- Il vient de l’est. = He’s coming from the east.
How to use ‘west’ in French
The word ouest (west) works similarly to “east” in French. You pronounce the consonants, so it rhymes with “best.” The beginning vowels make a similar sound to the “w” in the English word “west.”
- Il a dit que le parc se trouvait à l’ouest d’ici. = He said that the park was west of here.
- Elle leur enseigne l’Afrique de l’Ouest. = She is teaching them about West Africa.
- Elle vit dans l’ouest des États-Unis. = She lives in the west of the United States.
How to ask for directions in French
Exploring a new place by meandering the streets and strolling without a fixed destination is a fantastic idea: The French even have a verb for this activity. In French, flâner can mean “to meander around, stroll about, saunter, and roam.” If you ever get the chance to visit Paris, make sure to leave some room in your itinerary to flâner, so you can slow down and experience everything France is known for.
If you have a reservation, a flight or a train to catch, or timed billets (entry tickets), it’s time to ask for directions in French. This can be accomplished with a wide variety of French questions.
- Excusez-moi, comment vais-je à l’hôtel près du musée ? = Excuse me, how do I get to the hotel next to the museum?
- Excusez-moi. Où se trouve la boulangerie ? = Excuse me. Where is the bakery?
- À quelle distance se trouve le lac ? = How far away is the lake?
- Excusez-moi. Y a-t-il un distributeur de billets près d’ici ? = Excuse me. Is there an ATM near here?
Or, you can simply get directly to the point.
- Je suis perdu. = I’m lost.
- Je cherche la gare, s’il vous plaît. = I’m looking for the train station, please.
Begin your question with an expression of courtesy like excusez-moi/pardon (excuse me) or s’il-vous plâit (please) and one of the following sentence starters for asking for directions in French.
| French Question | English Translation |
| Comment vais-je à… ?/Comment peut-on aller à… ? | How do I get to…?/How does one get to…? |
| Est-ce que vous pourriez m’indiquer le chemin de… ? | Can you show me the way to…? |
| Est-ce que vous pourriez m’indiquer comment aller à… ? | Can you tell me how to get to…? |
| Je cherche… ? | I’m looking for…? |
| Où est… ?/Où sont… ? | Where is…/Where are…? |
| Où se trouve… ? | Where is… (something found)? |
| Y a-t-il un… près d’ici ? | Is there a… near here? |
Don’t forget to say “Thank you” in French once the person has assisted you.
How to give directions in French
Learn how to give directions, and you’ll also understand the responses you’ll get when you ask “where is?” in French. Giving directions in French can be as simple as responding la porte à droite (the door on the right), or it can involve more complicated descriptions like suivez la rue et les toilettes sont à côté de la gare (follow this street and the bathroom is next to the train station).
Verbs for directions in French
Verbs are often in the French imperative, or “command” form, such as prenez (take), tournez (turn), or allez (go) when giving directions. The following French verbs are essential for understanding and giving directions in the French language.
| French | English |
| aller | to go |
| continuer | to continue |
| descendre | to go down (stairs, etc) |
| monter | to go up (stairs, etc) |
| passer | to go past |
| prendre | to take |
| suivre | to follow |
| tourner | to turn |
| traverser | to cross |
Formal vs. informal ways to give directions
These examples are in the vous (you) forms, to address a group or someone you don’t know well:
- Prenez ce sentier sur plus d’un kilomètre. = Take this path for more than a kilometer.
- Tournez à droite au panneau vert. = Turn right at the green sign.
- Allez tout droit jusqu’à l’océan. = Go straight until the ocean.
- Allez jusqu’à la troisième rue et tournez à gauche. = Go to the third street and turn left.
- Prenez le bus jusqu’au quatrième arrêt. = Take the bus until the fourth stop.
If someone you know well is giving you instructions, you may hear the tu (you) form, which is used for more casual situations.
- Prends le train. = Take the train.
- Tourne à gauche. = Turn left.
- Va tout droit. = Go straight ahead.
Vocabulary for directions and navigating streets
It’s essential to recognize key French words for finding your way around. These are the basics to understand helpful locals or your GPS to get directions in the French language. Setting your favorite map app to French can be a way to experience more French immersion, even from home. You may also want to review cardinal and ordinal numbers in French, so you can communicate about addresses, distance, and words like “first,” “second,” and “third.”
@elizabethnkere Directions in French
♬ original sound – ElizabethNkereDevant – in front of Derrière- behind À gauche – to the left À droite – to the right Sur – on Sous – under En haut – above En bas -below À côté de – next to Près de – close to Loins de – far from Au bout de – at the end of À l’angle de – at the corner of Au fond de – at the bottom of Au coin de – at the corner of #directions #frenchlearning
Relative locations with French prepositions
Knowing French prepositions for relative location is a good place to begin to orient yourself in a city.
| French | English |
| à l’autre côté (de) | on the other side (of) |
| à côté (de) | next to/beside |
| à droite (de) | to the right (of) |
| à gauche (de) | to the left (of) |
| derrière | behind |
| devant | in front of |
| en face (de) | opposite/facing |
| jusqu’à | until |
| loin (de) | far (from) |
| près (de) | close (to) |
| tout droit | straight ahead |
Vocabulary for streets and signs
Recognize the vocabulary for the streets and features of the city for easy navigation.
| French | English |
| l’arrêt | the stop |
| l’avenue | avenue |
| le boulevard | the boulevard |
| au bout de | at the end of |
| au coin de | at the corner of |
| le croisement/l’intersection/le carrefour | the crossing/the intersection |
| le feu (de signalisation/le feu rouge) | the traffic light/signal/the red light |
| le passage piéton | the crosswalk |
| le rond-point | the roundabout |
| la route | the road/the way |
| la rue | the street |
| la sortie | the exit |
French words for transportation
Learn the right words for methods of getting around, and make it from home to your destination and back without any trouble.
| French | English |
| un aéroport | an airport |
| un ascenseur | an elevator |
| un avion | an airplane |
| un bateau | a boat |
| un bus | a bus |
| conduire | to drive |
| un ferry | a ferry |
| une gare | a train station |
| une gare routière | a bus station |
| marcher | to walk |
| un métro | a subway |
| une station de métro | a subway station |
| un taxi | a taxi |
| une voiture | a car |
| un vélo | a bike |
Find all of your destinations with Rosetta Stone
Whether your intention is to meander and explore or you need to arrive at a precise location on time, knowing how to ask where something is in French will open up pathways to adventure. Rosetta Stone has several tools, like TruAccent speech recognition, to make sure you’re pronouncing est and sud correctly, and the Dynamic Immersion method, which will demonstrate how people navigate their surroundings with authentic examples.
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