French · Travel & Getting Around
"Where is…?" in French: Où est… ?
Où est… ?
Where is…? in French is Où est… ? (oo EH). Put the place right after it: Où est la gare ? With strangers, start with Excusez-moi to sound polite.
At a train station
Excusez-moi, où est la sortie, s'il vous plaît ?Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
How to pronounce Où est… ?
Say it
oo EH
/u ɛ/
Où sounds like "oo", and est sounds like "eh" because the s and t are silent. Say the two words together as one smooth phrase: oo-EH. Let your voice rise at the end, as in any question.
"Where is…?" in French: quick reference
| French | English | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| Où est… ? | Where is…? For one thing or place: Où est la sortie ? | For one thing or place: Où est la sortie ? |
| Où sont… ? | Where are…? For plurals: Où sont les toilettes ? | For plurals: Où sont les toilettes ? |
| Où se trouve… ? | Where is… located? A little more formal, common with places on a map. | A little more formal, common with places on a map. |
| C'est où, … ? | Where's…? Relaxed spoken French, with friends: C'est où, le concert ? | Relaxed spoken French, with friends: C'est où, le concert ? |
| Excusez-moi, où est… ? | Excuse me, where is…? The polite way to stop a stranger. With a friend: Excuse-moi. | The polite way to stop a stranger. With a friend: Excuse-moi. |
How to use Où est… ? in real life
- 1At a train station
Excusez-moi, où est la sortie, s'il vous plaît ?
Excuse me, where is the exit, please?
La sortie is the exit. In stations you will also see signs for la correspondance (connection).
- 2At a hotel reception
Où est l'ascenseur ? J'ai une grosse valise.
Where is the elevator? I have a big suitcase.
Où est works the same before a vowel: où est l'hôtel, où est l'entrée.
- 3Walking around town with a friend
C'est où, le musée ? Je crois qu'on est perdus.
Where's the museum? I think we're lost.
C'est où is casual and very common in speech. Keep Où est for strangers.
Mistakes English speakers make with Où est… ?
Incorrect: Où est les toilettes ?
Correct: Où sont les toilettes ?
Les toilettes is always plural in French, so you need sont (are), not est (is).
Incorrect: Ou est la gare ?
Correct: Où est la gare ?
Without the accent, ou means "or". Où with a grave accent means "where". They sound the same, but the spelling matters.
Good to know
In France it is polite to start with Excusez-moi or Bonjour, pardon before asking a stranger anything. Answers often use à gauche (on the left), à droite (on the right), and tout droit (straight ahead). When you just need the closest one, ask: Où est la pharmacie la plus proche ?
Try it in a ChatPal conversation
Asking for directions to the train station in Bordeaux
ChatPal
Bonjour ! Vous cherchez quelque chose ?
Hello! Are you looking for something?
You
Oui, excusez-moi. Où est la gare Saint-Jean ?
Yes, excuse me. Where is Saint-Jean station?
ChatPal
C'est à dix minutes à pied. Allez tout droit, puis à gauche.
It's ten minutes on foot. Go straight ahead, then left.
You
Merci ! Et où est l'arrêt de tram le plus proche ?
Thanks! And where is the nearest tram stop?
This is a sample. In ChatPal you have this conversation out loud and get feedback on what you say.
Practice this conversation in ChatPal"Where is…?" in other languages
FAQ
Common questions about "Where is…?" in French
What is the difference between où and ou?
Où (with an accent) means "where", and ou (without) means "or": thé ou café ? They sound exactly the same, so the accent is the only difference.
How do you say "where are" in French?
Use Où sont… ? with plural nouns: Où sont mes clés ? (Where are my keys?). Watch out for nouns that are plural in French but not in English, like les toilettes.
Is C'est où ? rude?
Not rude, just casual. It is how friends talk. With strangers, shop staff, or older people, say Excusez-moi, où est… ? instead.
How do I ask if there is something nearby?
Say Il y a une boulangerie près d'ici ? (Is there a bakery near here?). Use Où est… ? when you know the place exists and just need to find it.
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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