Where In French (Complete Guide To The Word "Où?")

How to you say “Where?” in French

In French, the translation for the word “where?” is “Où” (pronounced “oo” as in the English word food). “Où est” means “Where is” an “Où sont” means “Where are”? “Où est-ce que” means “Where is” or “Where are”.

Où est vs où sont

The two most common usages of the word “Où” are “Où est” (Where is?) and “Où sont” (Where are?). “Où est” precedes singular places. For example, “Où est la banque” (Where is the bank?). “Où sont” precedes plural places. For example, “Où sont les toilettes?” (Where is the restroom)?

Où est-ce que

The format, “Où est-ce que” can translate to “Where is, are, do and does”. The full construction is: “Où est-ce + personal pronoun + verb”. For example, “Où est-ce que tu habites?” (Where do you live?). Or, “Où est-ce que vous travaillez”? (Where do you work?).

What does d’où mean?

D’où translates to “from where” as the preposition “de” means “from”. Thus, “D’ou est-ce que tu viens?” and “D’où venez vous?” both translate to “Where are you from?”.

Où vs. ou

In French, both où and ou are homonyms (two words with the same spelling but different meanings). While the word “où” means where, the word “ou” means “or”. The French language uses a accent grave (downward slanting) accent over the -u to distinguish the two words. This lesson offers a complete introduction to French accent marks.

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Common phrases using “où” (with audio)

Où sont les toilettes? Where is the bathroom?
D’où vennez-vous? Where are you from? (formal or plural)
D’où viens-tu? Where are you from? (informal)
Où est la gare? Where is the train station?
Où est l’hôtel? Where is the hotel?
Où est la France? Where is France?
Où est Jean-Marc? Where is Jean-Marc?
Où est-ce que tu habites? Where do you live?
Où est-ce que je peux apprendre le Français? Where Can I learn French?

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David Issokson

David Issokson is a lifelong language enthusiast. His head is swimming with words and sounds as he speaks over six languages. Of all the languages he speaks, he's the most passionate about French! David has helped hundreds of students to improve their French in his private online lessons. When procrastinating working on his site, FrenchLearner.com, David enjoys his time skiing and hiking in Teton Valley, Idaho.

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