English–French

“the” in French

French

Alsole · la

Pronunciation

IPA/o/

Example

Je vais au cinéma.

I am going to the cinema.

Illustration for au (the)

How to say “the” in French

“The” in French is au.

A route ending at, or a position inside, a singular masculine destination.

Full entry for au: usage tips, similar words and word origin

Example sentences with au

Ce soir, nous dînons au restaurant.

This evening, we are dining at the restaurant.

Tips for using au

  • The verb sets the context: être au cinéma describes being there, while aller au cinéma describes going there.

Other French words for “the”

2

le

articlethe

Le café est chaud.

The coffee is hot.

3

la

articlethe

Donne-moi la clé.

Give me the key.

“the” in other languages