French · Greetings & Essentials
"There" in French: là / là-bas
là / là-bas
There in French is often là or là-bas: reste là, le café est là-bas. Là can feel close or vague; là-bas points farther away. Par là means that way.
Pointing down the street
Le cinéma est là-bas, après le pont.Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce là / là-bas
Say it
lah / lah-BAH
/la/ /la.ba/
Là: lah. Là-bas: lah-BAH. Accent on à; bas like bah.
"There" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| là | there / here (vague) Pointing nearby or soft location. | Pointing nearby or soft location. |
| là-bas | over there Farther away. | Farther away. |
| par là | that way Directions. | Directions. |
| là-haut / là-dedans | up there / in there Compounds with là. | Compounds with là. |
How to use là / là-bas in real life
- 1Pointing down the street
Le cinéma est là-bas, après le pont.
The cinema is over there, after the bridge.
Là-bas for farther away.
- 2On a terrace
Assieds-toi là-bas à l'ombre.
Sit over there in the shade.
Là-bas for a spot you point to.
- 3Finding a stall
Les fruits bio sont là-bas au fond.
The organic fruit is over there at the back.
Là-bas au fond.
Mistakes English speakers make with là / là-bas
Incorrect: Le magasin est there.
Correct: Le magasin est là-bas.
Use là / là-bas, not English there.
Incorrect: Va à là-bas.
Correct: Va là-bas.
No à before là-bas.
Good to know
Là is extremely common and flexible: je suis là means I'm here/there for you. Là-bas is clearer when you mean at a distance.
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Finding a free table
ChatPal
Il y a de la place là-bas près de la fenêtre.
There's room over there by the window.
You
Oui, allons là-bas.
Yes — let's go over there.
ChatPal
Pose ton sac là pendant que je commande.
Put your bag there while I order.
You
Ok, je reste ici.
Okay, I'll stay here.
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"There" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "There" in French
How do you say there in French?
Là or là-bas (farther).
Là or ici?
Ici is clearly here; là is vaguer or there; là-bas is over there.
What does par là mean?
That way / around there.
How do you pronounce là-bas?
lah-BAH.
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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