French · Travel & Getting Around
"East" in French: est
l'est
East in French is l'est, masculine. À l'est means to the east. L'est de Paris is the east of Paris. Keep the direction phrase clear so it does not look like the verb est.
Map reading
La mer est à l'est de la ville.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce est
Say it
est
/ɛst/
Est like English "est" short e, or ehst. Elision: l'est.
"East" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| l'est | the east Direction and region. | Direction and region. |
| à l'est | to the east / in the east Location or movement. | Location or movement. |
| est de | east of Before places. | Before places. |
| vers l'est | toward the east Travel. | Travel. |
How to use est in real life
- 1Map reading
La mer est à l'est de la ville.
The sea is east of the city.
À l'est de.
- 2Road trip
On roule vers l'est depuis ce matin.
We've been driving east since this morning.
Vers l'est.
- 3Weather
Il neige dans l'est du pays.
It's snowing in the east of the country.
Dans l'est.
Mistakes English speakers make with est
Incorrect: La est est froid.
Correct: L'est est froid.
Est (direction) is masculine: l'est.
Incorrect: À l'east de Lyon.
Correct: À l'est de Lyon.
Use est, not east.
Good to know
L'Est can mean eastern France as a region. On maps, E marks est. Learners confuse l'est with il est; writing à l'est keeps the direction clear.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Finding a neighborhood
ChatPal
Ton hôtel est à l'est, non ?
Your hotel is in the east, right?
You
Oui, tout à l'est près du parc.
Yes, all the way east near the park.
ChatPal
Alors on prend le métro vers l'est.
Then we take the metro east.
You
OK. Trois stations et on y est.
OK. Three stops and we're there.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"East" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "East" in French
How do I say east?
L'est.
How do I say to the east?
À l'est.
How do I say east of Paris?
À l'est de Paris.
Is est masculine?
Yes: l'est.
Learn a word, then use it out loud
- Step 1: See it in context
- Step 2: Say it out loud
- Step 3: Get feedback
- Step 4: Use it in real scenarios
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