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When exploring a place, it is useful to know how to talk about key places and means of transport in French to help you to find your way around.

'Where are you going?' in French

To ask where someone is going in French, you can say:

• ��ù vas-tu ? – Where are you going?

��ù means 'where' and tu means 'you'. Vas is part of the verb aller (to go).

You use this verb in your answer and add the preposition à (to):

• Je vais à – I am going to

Did you know?

Did you notice that the spelling of the à changes, depending on whether it is followed by a masculine or feminine singular noun, a noun beginning with a vowel or a h or a plural noun?

You can learn more about masculine, feminine and plural nouns in Indefinite and definite articles.

Here's a table to help you to remember which form of à you use to say 'to the'.

Places in a town

Here are some useful words so you can talk about places in a town.

Transport in French

If you want to say how you are getting somewhere, you can also use the verb aller + the preposition en (by). Then add which method of transport you're using.

• Je vais en bus – I go by bus

• Je vais en train – I go by train

• Je vais en voiture – I go by car

You can use a similar phrase for these expressions, but notice the different preposition - à instead of en.

• Je vais à pied – I go on foot

• Je vais à ��é���� – I go by bike

Here are some different modes of transport so you can practise saying this.

Asking for directions in French

If you want to ask where something is, you need the verb ê�ٰ��� (to be).

You say:

• ��ù est le marché ? – Where is the market?

To answer, you need to use est (is) which is also part of the verb ê�ٰ���. So you say:

• C'est (it is) and explain where it is.

If you need to stop someone and ask them directions politely, you say:

• Excusez-moi, où est le marché, s'il vous plaît ? - Excuse me, where is the market, please?

Prepositions of place

Here are some useful phrases you might need when describing where something is. They are called prepositions of place.

Try using these prepositions to create your own phrases:

• C'est devant le c����é���� – It's in front of the cinema

• C'est ��������è���� le centre de loisirs – It's behind the leisure centre

• C'est tout droit – It's straight on

• C'est à gauche – It's on the left

• C'est à droite – It's on the right

Giving directions in French

You might want to give directions to someone and to do this you need to give instructions. When you give instructions in French, you change the verb to its imperative form.

Imperatives are also known as 'bossy verbs', because they tell someone to do something.

For example, in English if you tell someone to 'sit down' or 'stand up', these would be imperatives and it is the same in French.

How do I use the imperative in French?

In French, the imperative verb changes depending on who you are giving an instruction to. Let's have a look at some examples using the verb tourner - to turn.

If you give a friend or someone you know instructions, you use the tu form of the verb, so you remove the -er and add -e:

• tourne - turn

If you're talking to more than one person or to someone you don't know that well, you use the vous form of the verb, so you remove the -er and add -ez on the end:

• tournez - turn

Did you notice that with imperatives, you don't need the tu or the vous at the beginning?

So to someone you know you could say:

• Tourne à droite – turn right

• Tourne à gauche – turn left

To more than one person or someone you don't know you could say:

• Tournez à droite – turn right

• Tournez à gauche – turn left

You do the same with the verb continuer – to continue:

To someone you know:

• Continue – continue

• Continue tout droit – continue straight on

To more than one person or someone you don't know:

• Continuez – continue

• Continuez tout droit – continue straight on

Key French sounds

Below are some important French sounds that you have heard in this topic. Try practising them yourself out loud.

1. à

This letter makes a similar sound to a in the English word apple. It can be written as a, â or à.

à ��é���� – by bike

2. é

This is a short, sharp sound which you might use to attract the attention of someone.

le café – the cafe

3. c

A c before e, i or y and ç makes a s sound.

le c����é���� – the cinema
la piscine – the swimming pool