A guide to saying it like a local
How to Say "We're staying with family" in French
Say 'Nous restons chez de la famille' to tell people you're staying with relatives in France.
Nous restons chez de la famille.
noo ruhs-TOHN shay duh lah fah-MEE-yuhneutral
French TTS · 0:01
When someone asks where you're staying during your visit, and you're lodging with your aunt, uncle, cousins, or other relatives. This is a polite and common way to explain your accommodation.
Alternatives
- On reste chez la famille.More casual, uses 'on' instead of 'nous'.
- Nous sommes hébergés par de la famille.Slightly more formal, emphasizes being hosted.
Ways to get it wrong
Pronouncing 'restons'
The 't' in 'restons' is pronounced, unlike in English 'rest'.
Forgetting 'de la'
You need 'de la' before 'famille' to indicate you're staying with *some* family members, not a specific, known family.
A small cultural note
It's common and perfectly acceptable to stay with family when visiting France, and people will generally understand this without further explanation.
The same phrase in other languages
Frequently asked
How do I say we are staying with friends?
You would say 'Nous restons chez des amis.' This follows the same structure as staying with family.
Is 'chez' always used for staying with people?
Yes, 'chez' is the standard preposition used when staying at someone's home, whether it's family or friends.
What if I'm staying with just one family member?
You can say 'Nous restons chez ma tante' (my aunt) or 'chez mon oncle' (my uncle), specifying the relationship if you wish.
