French word

là-bas

Pronunciation

IPA/laba/

Meaning

  • adverbover there

Example

Mon frère habite là-bas.

My brother lives over there.

Illustration for là-bas (over there)

More examples

Depuis deux ans, il travaille là-bas.

He has been working over there for two years.

Core concept

A location set farther away than the place indicated by là, whether visible or only identified in context.

Common phrases

  • aller là-bas

    go over there

  • venir là-bas

    come over there

  • habiter là-bas

    live over there

Similar words

là: At a specific place or point being indicated.
ici: In the speaker's location or its immediate vicinity.
ailleurs: Somewhere other than here or there.

Definition in French

Signifie qu'un lieu est plus éloigné du locuteur que « là », utilisé pour désigner un point éloigné, visible ou non, parfois accompagné d'un geste.

Word origin

French formed là-bas by joining là, meaning 'there', and bas, meaning 'low' or 'down', from Latin bassus, giving the phrase a sense of a place farther over or below.

Usage tips

  • Là-bas is an adverb and takes no article, as in Mon frère habite là-bas; a noun phrase instead uses a form such as de là-bas.

Opposites

Word lists with this word