French word

où

Pronunciation

IPA/u/

Meaning

  • adverbwhere

Example

Tu vas où ce soir ?

Where are you going tonight?

Illustration for où (where)

More examples

Montre-moi où se trouve la bibliothèque.

Show me where the library is located.

Core concept

A map with a finger asking for the location or direction of a destination.

Common phrases

  • où se trouve

    where ___ is located

  • où est

    where ___ is

Similar words

ici: Indicates the speaker's location or a place nearby.
là: Indicates a place at some distance from the speaker.
ailleurs: Indicates a place other than the current one.
partout: Indicates every place or location.

Definition in French

Sert à demander le lieu ou la direction d'une personne ou d'une chose.

Word origin

French où developed from Latin ubi through Old French, and the grave accent was added to distinguish it from ou, meaning 'or'.

Usage tips

  • French places où after the verb in colloquial questions such as 'Tu vas où ?', while formal inversion gives 'Où vas-tu ?'.

Word lists with this word