Finding the Way

Finding the Way in France

Basic French Directions

• To ask for directions in French, you can say: “Pourriez-vous me dire comment aller à…?” (Could you tell me how to get to…?)
• The four cardinal directions in French are: nord (north), sud (south), est (east), ouest (west).
• Common phrases include à droite (to the right), à gauche (to the left), tout droit (straight ahead), and tournez (turn).

Route and Journey Terminology

• A journey or trip in French is un voyage.
• The word for route or way is le chemin or la route.
• To plan a route or journey, you might use planifier un itinéraire.

Location Descriptions

• If something is close by, you might say it is à proximité or près de.
• Conversely, something far away could be referred to as loin de.
• To specify something is at a particular location, you could use the phrase chez followed by the place or person.

Modes of Transport

• If you’re travelling by car, you’d say en voiture.
• If you’re travelling by foot, you’d say à pied.
• Other common modes of transport include en vélo (by bike), en train (by train), or en bus (by bus).

Signs and Landmarks

• To describe landmarks, you can use the term un repère.
• Common signs you might need to understand include sortie (exit), entrée (entrance), fermé (closed), and ouvert (open).

Road Safety

• Regulations for road safety, or la sécurité routière, are strict in France.
• Always use pedestrian crossings, or les passages piétons, where provided and wait for the green man (l’homme vert) before crossing.
• Wearing a seatbelt, or la ceinture de sécurité, is mandatory when driving.

Asking for and Understanding Directions

• Understanding and responding appropriately to directions is an important part of finding your way.
• Real life practice and language immersion can greatly improve your ability to do this.