Published October 17, 2014 • Updated April 15, 2026 — By French teacher David Issokson • Native Audio by Marie Assel Cambier
Chez is a preposition you’ll hear all the time in spoken French. It means “at the home of” (je suis chez moi — I’m at home), but its uses extend far beyond that. In this lesson, you’ll learn 8 key uses of chez, all with Marie’s native audio.
📘 Chez meaning
Chez (pronounced /ʃe/, “shay”) is a French preposition meaning “at the home of” or “at the place of.” It’s used to talk about being at someone’s house (chez moi — at my place), at a place of business (chez le médecin — at the doctor’s office), and when making generalizations about people or groups (chez les Français — among French people). The core idea is always “at” or “in the context of” a person or group.
📝 Chez examples
1. At the home of
Je suis chez moi.
I’m at home.
Je dîne chez toi.
I’m having dinner at your house.
Julien est chez Marie.
Julien is at Marie’s house.
2. In one’s region or country
Il fait beau chez nous.
It is nice weather out in our region (or country).
Chez nous on mange avec des baguettes.
People eat with chopsticks in our country.
3. Businesses
Je vais chez le médecin.
I’m going to the doctor’s office.
Elle va chez le dentiste.
She’s going to the dentist.
4. Company names
Elle travaille chez Apple.
She works for Apple.
Chez Samsung, vous trouverez des téléphones portables haut de gamme.
You’ll find high-end mobile phones at Samsung.
5. Describing personalities
Chez cet homme, tout est égoïste.
With this man, everything is about selfishness.
C’est la folie chez les enfants.
Kids are crazy.
6. Generalizations about group
Il y a beaucoup de problèmes chez les adolescents.
Adolescents have a lot of issues.
7. Reference to artists
J’aime les couleurs vives chez Monet.
I like Monet’s vibrant colors.
8. Restaurant names
Je dîne Chez Pierre.
I’m going out to eat at Chez Pierre.
👉 See also: French prepositions (master list) »
⚠️ Common mistake with chez
In French there are two ways to say, “At my house” or “am/is/are home”: Chez moi and à la maison.
Je suis chez moi. I’m home. ✅
Je suis à la maison. I’m home. ✅
Je suis à chez moi. I’m home. ❌
Je suis à ma maison. I’m home. ❌
🔗 Related words and expressions
Stressed pronouns
- chez moi — a my place
- chez toi — at your place (informal)
- chez lui / chez elle — at his / her place
- chez nous — at our place
- chez vous — at your place (formal/plural)
- chez eux / chez elles — at their place
Places
- chez le médecin — at the doctor’s office
- chez le dentiste — at the dentist’s
- chez le coiffeur — at the hairdresser’s
- chez le boulanger — at the baker’s
Expressions with chez
- Rien ne vaut son chez-soi. — There’s no place like home.
- Faites comme chez vous. (formal) — Make yourself at home.
- Fais comme chez toi. (informal) — Make yourself at home.
- Ton petit chez-toi. — Your little place/home.
- Bien de chez nous. — Typically French (literally “well from our home”).
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