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Lesson 43 of 240

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How far is it in French

Sam needs the metro from Café des Tilleuls. The station is close, but the street still feels new.

Gaspard is at the next table, croissant in reach, and he starts an answer he cannot finish.

By the end, you'll ask if a place is far, which way it is, and whether you are going the right way.

Keep the questions short. Let the other person give the distance.

By the end of this lesson

Ask how far a place is and which way it is.

  • C'est loin ?Is it far?
  • C'est par où ?Which way is it?
  • C'est au bout de la rue.It's at the end of the street.
  • C'est en face.It's across the street.
  • C'est à cinq minutes à pied.It's a five-minute walk.
  • C'est la bonne direction ?Is this the right way?

Scene — the door and the street

Sam stands in the café doorway with his mustard backpack. Odile is at the zinc counter. The window table still has its blank brass sign.

Gaspard sits at the next table on two chairs, with a croissant and a café crème he has not touched. Sam needs the metro and looks down the street.

Sam stands in the open café doorway looking down the street while Odile works at the zinc counter and Gaspard sits at the next table on two chairs with an untouched croissant and café crème.

Learn — how far and which way

Six short lines cover far or not, which way, across the street, and a five-minute walk.

You'll also check if this is the right way.

  1. Sam pauses in the café doorway and looks down the street as if asking whether it is far.

    C'est loin ?

    Is it far?

    When to use it: Ask this when a place might be a long walk.

    Learn it as one piece when a place might be far.

    Say it: The in in loin is a nasal sound.

  2. Sam points down the street from the café doorway, searching for the way.

    C'est par où ?

    Which way is it?

    When to use it: Ask this when you know the place but not the way.

    Learn it as one piece to ask which way to go.

  3. Gaspard sits at the next table and points toward the open doorway to show the far end of the street while Sam listens from the threshold.

    C'est au bout de la rue.

    It's at the end of the street.

    When to use it: Say this when the place is at the end of this street.

    Learn it as one piece for the end of this street.

    Say it: The t in C'est links into au.

  4. The empty window table sits unused in front while Gaspard points past it straight across the street.

    C'est en face.

    It's across the street.

    When to use it: Say this when the place is across the street from you.

    Learn it as one piece for a place across the street.

  5. Gaspard's hands mark a short walking distance toward the door beside the untouched croissant and café crème.

    C'est à cinq minutes à pied.

    It's a five-minute walk.

    When to use it: Say this when the walk takes about five minutes.

    Learn it as one piece for a short five-minute walk.

  6. Sam has stepped a few paces out of the café onto the sidewalk and pauses to look down the street.

    C'est la bonne direction ?

    Is this the right way?

    When to use it: Ask this when you want to check you are on the right way.

    Learn it as one piece to check you are on track.

    Say it: The ending -tion sounds like syon, with a nasal vowel.

Story — he forgets the rest

Watch Sam ask Gaspard about the station from the door. Gaspard has the first half of the answer, then loses the rest.

The highlighted words are the lines you just learned. Turn on Show English if you need it.

  1. The terrace door is open. Sam looks down rue des Tilleuls.
  2. SamC'est loin ?Is it far?
  3. GaspardC'est à cinq minutes à pied.It's a five-minute walk.
  4. He starts another sentence, then stares at the croissant. The rest is gone.
  5. SamC'est par où ?Which way is it?
  6. GaspardC'est au bout de la rue.It's at the end of the street.
  7. SamC'est la bonne direction ?Is this the right way?
  8. GaspardOui. La pharmacie, c'est en face.Yes. The pharmacy is across the street.
  9. Gaspard points past the window table. He does not sit there.
  10. SamC'est près d'ici ?Is it near here?
  11. GaspardC'est là-bas.It's over there.

Practice — far, which way, across

Eleven quick exercises wait here. You'll listen, pick, match, fill a gap, and build a line.

They stay tiny, so the round moves fast.

0 of 11 done

  1. What did you hear?

  2. Match the pairs

    French

    C'est loin ?Drop the English here
    C'est par où ?Drop the English here
    C'est en face.Drop the English here

    English

    Drag an English line onto its French, or tap one and then the other.

  3. What do you say?

    You stand in the café doorway. You need the metro and want to know if it is a long way.

  4. Fill the gap

    It's a five-minute walk.

    C'est à ____ minutes à pied.

  5. What does it mean?

    C'est par où ?

  6. Swap the word

    You point down rue des Tilleuls. Check you are going the right way.

    C'est la ____ direction ?

  7. Build the line

    It's at the end of the street.

    .

    Tap the words in order.

  8. Pick the reply

    Gaspard says:

    C'est à cinq minutes à pied.

    It's a five-minute walk.

    And you reply with:

  9. What do you say?

    You are at the café door. A friend asks where the pharmacy is. It stands across the street.

  10. True or false?

    This asks if a place is near here.

  11. Fill the gap

    It's over there.

    C'est là-____.

Say it — ask from the door

Now you're Sam at the café door, about to walk to the station. When it's your turn, tap the microphone and speak the line.

Tap ▶ first if you want to hear the line. Your recording stays on your device.

  1. Sam (you)Ask if the station is far.

    C'est loin ?

    Is it far?

0 of 3 said

Recap — what you can say now

FrenchEnglish
C'est loin ?Is it far?
C'est par où ?Which way is it?
C'est au bout de la rue.It's at the end of the street.
C'est en face.It's across the street.
C'est à cinq minutes à pied.It's a five-minute walk.
C'est la bonne direction ?Is this the right way?
Next: lesson 44Metro and transit card

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Keep practicing with Yak Cards

Want to keep these distance lines handy? Grab the Yak Cards for this lesson and review them anywhere.

A quick round with the Yak Cards each day keeps how-far and which-way ready on the street.

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