Asking for directions is something normal, as anyone has been lost once or might be again. If you are in a French-speaking context, it will be worth knowing words like "où est/where is" or basic phrases like excusez- moi (excuse me), s'il vous plaît (please), or c'est (it is).
In this lesson, you are going to learn words and expressions used to ask for directions and how to reply to them. You will start by learning some keywords and phrases like names of places in the city, compass directions, useful verbs, and some prepositions of place. Keep on reading till the end, to be able to practice what you've learned.
French Words for the names of places in town
To be able to find your way, it is important to make sure that you know the names of places in the city. A place in French can be translated as un endroit, or un lieu. Here are a few of the common must-know places in town.
L'aéroport: airport
L’arrêt de bus: bus stop
La banque: bank
La bibliothèque: library
La boulangerie: bakery
La boutique / le magasin : shop
Le café: café
Le commissariat de police: police station
L'école: school
L'église: church
La gare: station (bus station or train station)
L'hôpital: hospital
L'hôtel: hotel
La mairie / l’hôtel de ville: the town hall
Le marché: market
La mosquée: mosque
Le parc: park
La pharmacie: pharmacy
La poste: post office
Le restaurant: restaurant
Le supermarché: supermarket
Le temple: temple
Useful direction verbs to know
The list of verbs below will be very useful for understanding directions. Most of them are movement verbs but not all of them are generally used with être in the passé composé tense.
Être => to be
Aller => to go
Chercher => to look for
Continuer => to continue
Tourner => to turn
Traverser => to cross
Dépasser=> to pass
Longer => to go along/walk along
Marcher => to walk
Monter => to go up
Passer => to go past
Descendre => to go down
Vouloir => To want
