A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "Across from the church" in French
Give directions in French by saying 'en face de l'église' to mean 'across from the church'.
en face de l'église
ahn FAHSS duh lay-GLEEZneutral
French TTS · 0:01
Use this when you're giving someone directions and the church is a key landmark. For example, you could tell someone, 'Le café est en face de l'église.'
Alternatives
- vis-à-vis de l'égliseThis is slightly more formal and less common for simple directions.
- juste en face de l'égliseUse this if you want to emphasize that it's directly opposite, with nothing in between.
Ways to get it wrong
Pronouncing 'en face'
The 'en' is a nasal sound, and the 'c' in 'face' is silent.
Forgetting 'de'
You need 'de' to connect 'en face' with the landmark; 'en face l'église' is incorrect.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
How to say across the street from the church in French?
To say 'across the street from the church', you'd say 'en face de l'église'. French often uses 'en face de' for general opposition, not strictly 'across the street'.
What does en face de mean?
'En face de' literally means 'in front of' or 'facing'. In the context of directions, it most commonly translates to 'across from' or 'opposite'.
Is 'en face de' formal or informal?
'En face de' is a neutral phrase that can be used in both casual and more formal settings. It's the most common and versatile way to indicate something is opposite something else.
