French - Asking Directions

Lesson 106 of 159

Learner asking for directions in French while studying — useful for English learning and French travel phrases.

Goal: Polite questions and short replies to get where you need to go

Free French lessons with guided practice, audio, and speaking support.

Ready to find your way in French? This short lesson gives you polite questions and quick directions so you can ask for — and follow — routes with confidence. A little Yak Yack: ask, listen, walk — repeat!

Level A1: In this lesson you'll practice polite ways to ask where a place is (Excusez-moi, où est ... ? / Vous pouvez me dire ... ?) and simple direction phrases (Va tout droit, Tourne à gauche / droite, C'est à gauche / droite). We'll also cover checking distance (C'est près d'ici ? / C'est loin d'ici ?) and quick confirmation questions. CEFR-aligned, friendly, and very practical for walking around town.

After this lesson you'll be able to:

  • Learn polite questions to ask for directions (A1).
  • Practice short replies that give directions: straight, left, right, on the left/right.
  • Ask about distance and confirm the correct way.
Street scene with a traveler asking Excusez-moi, où est ... ? — perfect for English learners studying French directions.

Ready? Let's go!

When you tap play on phrases, we track your progress through this lesson.

1. Reading + Listening Practice

Hear core phrases, repeat aloud.

Excusez-moi, où est ___ ?

Excuse me, where is ___?

Meaning: Excuse me, where is ___?

When to use: Use to politely ask a stranger or staff member where a place is.

Tip: Learners sometimes forget to change 'à' to 'au/à la/aux' when naming a place that needs an article.

Excusez-moi, où est la gare ?
Excuse me, where is the train station?
Excusez-moi, où est le musée s'il vous plaît ?
Excuse me, where is the museum please?

Pour aller à ___, c'est par où ?

How do I get to ___?

Meaning: How do I get to ___?

When to use: Use when asking how to reach a place; adjust à to au/à la/aux if needed.

Pour aller à la plage, c'est par où ?
How do I get to the beach?
Pour aller au cinéma, c'est par où ?
How do I get to the cinema?

C'est près d'ici ?

Is it near here?

Meaning: Is it near here?

When to use: Ask to check whether the place is close by.

C'est près d'ici ?
Is it near here?
Le parc est près d'ici ?
Is the park near here?

C'est loin d'ici ?

Is it far from here?

Meaning: Is it far from here?

When to use: Ask to check whether the place is some distance away.

C'est loin d'ici ?
Is it far from here?
La gare est loin d'ici ?
Is the station far from here?

Va tout droit.

Go straight.

Meaning: Go straight.

When to use: Give a short forward direction (tu form). For politeness to a stranger, use 'Allez tout droit.'

Tip: Beginners sometimes say 'Va tout droit' to a stranger; prefer 'Allez tout droit' with vous for politeness.

Va tout droit jusqu'au carrefour.
Go straight until the intersection.
Va tout droit, puis tourne à gauche.
Go straight, then turn left.

Tourne à gauche.

Turn left.

Meaning: Turn left.

When to use: Give a left-turn instruction (tu). For politeness use 'Tournez à gauche.'

Tourne à gauche au café.
Turn left at the café.
Tourne à gauche, la poste est là.
Turn left, the post office is there.

Tourne à droite.

Turn right.

Meaning: Turn right.

When to use: Give a right-turn instruction (tu). For politeness use 'Tournez à droite.'

Tourne à droite après le pont.
Turn right after the bridge.
Tourne à droite et tu verras l'hôtel.
Turn right and you'll see the hotel.

C'est à gauche.

It's on the left.

Meaning: It's on the left.

When to use: Use to tell someone the place is located on the left side.

Le restaurant, c'est à gauche.
The restaurant is on the left.
La banque est à gauche après le rond-point.
The bank is on the left after the roundabout.

C'est à droite.

It's on the right.

Meaning: It's on the right.

When to use: Use to tell someone the place is located on the right side.

Le cinéma, c'est à droite.
The cinema is on the right.
La pharmacie est à droite après le feu.
The pharmacy is on the right after the light.

Vous pouvez me dire comment aller à ___ ?

Can you tell me the way to ___?

Meaning: Can you tell me the way to ___?

When to use: Polite question using vous to ask a stranger for directions; change à to au/à la/aux as needed.

Tip: Remember to use 'vous' to be polite when asking strangers; don't mix tu/vous in the same question.

Vous pouvez me dire comment aller à la gare ?
Can you tell me how to get to the train station?
Vous pouvez me dire comment aller au musée ?
Can you tell me the way to the museum?

C'est par là pour aller à ___ ?

Is this the way to ___?

Meaning: Is this the way to ___?

When to use: Ask whether you are on the correct path to a place.

C'est par là pour aller à la mairie ?
Is this the way to the town hall?
C'est par là pour le musée ?
Is this the way to the museum?

Pour ___, c'est par où ?

Which way is ___?

Meaning: Which way is ___?

When to use: Natural spoken form to ask someone to indicate a direction to a place.

Pour le cinéma, c'est par où ?
Which way is the cinema?
Pour la gare, c'est par où ?
Which way is the station?

Je vais tout droit ?

Do I go straight?

Meaning: Do I go straight?

When to use: Use to check if you should continue straight ahead.

Je vais tout droit ?
Do I go straight?
Je continue tout droit ?
Do I continue straight?

2. Conversational Listening Practice

Hear phrases in a real mini-conversation.

Asking for the station and confirming the route

Anna and David talk on a sidewalk about how to get to the gare — a clear scene for language learning and asking directions.

What place does Anna ask directions for?

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Excusez-moi, où est la gare ?

Excuse me, where is the train station?

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Pour aller à la gare, c'est par où ?

How do I get to the station?

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Va tout droit, puis tourne à droite.

Go straight, then turn right.

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

C'est près d'ici ?

Is it near here?

Portrait of Anna in a French lesson dialogue

Anna

Oui, c'est à droite. Vous pouvez me dire comment aller au musée ?

Yes, it's on the right. Can you tell me the way to the museum?

Portrait of David in a French lesson dialogue

David

Non, le musée est un peu loin d'ici.

No, the museum is a little far from here.

3. Guided Practice

Quizzes and matching to lock in meaning.

Which sentence means 'Go straight'?

Which question is the polite way to ask 'Can you tell me the way to the museum?'

Which phrase asks 'Is it far from here?'

Which phrase tells someone to 'Turn right' (informal)?

I want to go to the museum. Which way is the museum?

Je veux aller au musée. Pour aller à ___, c'est par où ?

The station is 20 km away. Is it far from here?

La gare se trouve à 20 km. C'est ___ d'ici ?

To get to the pharmacy, do I go straight?

Pour aller à la pharmacie, ___ ?

Match the core phrases

Match the extra phrases

4. Speaking Practice

Say phrases yourself (mic/recording).

Recording stays on your device only. Check speech uses your browser's speech tools when available.

Say this phrase out loud:

Excusez-moi, où est ___ ?

Excuse me, where is ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Pour aller à ___, c'est par où ?

How do I get to ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

C'est près d'ici ?

Is it near here?

Say this phrase out loud:

C'est loin d'ici ?

Is it far from here?

Say this phrase out loud:

Va tout droit.

Go straight.

Say this phrase out loud:

Tourne à gauche.

Turn left.

Say this phrase out loud:

Tourne à droite.

Turn right.

Say this phrase out loud:

C'est à gauche.

It's on the left.

Say this phrase out loud:

C'est à droite.

It's on the right.

Say this phrase out loud:

Vous pouvez me dire comment aller à ___ ?

Can you tell me the way to ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

C'est par là pour aller à ___ ?

Is this the way to ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Pour ___, c'est par où ?

Which way is ___?

Say this phrase out loud:

Je vais tout droit ?

Do I go straight?