n'importe où
/n‿ɛ̃.pɔʁ.t‿u/
The English phrase "anywhere" is translated into French as n'importe où. Wiktionary also lists où que ce soit.
Meaning: in or at any location (adv)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| n'importe où | /n‿ɛ̃.pɔʁ.t‿u/ |
| où que ce soit |
The term refers to being in or at any location.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase n'importe où literally translates to "no matter where".
Which one should you use?
n'importe où is used in affirmative statements to mean "anywhere", whereas nulle part is used in negative constructions to mean "nowhere".
How does it change in a sentence?
où que ce soit is a more formal or emphatic way to say "anywhere", often used in questions or to emphasize the uncertainty of the location.
How do you pronounce it?
/n‿ɛ̃.pɔʁ.t‿u/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often mistakenly use n'importe où in negative sentences. In a negative context, you must use nulle part instead of n'importe où.
Did you know?
- In French, the expression n'importe quoi is a common idiom meaning 'nonsense' or 'rubbish', mirroring the structure of n'importe où.
- The phrase n'importe où is built around the verb importer, which in modern French means 'to matter' or 'to be important'. This is why the literal translation feels like 'it does not matter where'.
- The word où used in these phrases was once written without an accent. The grave accent was only added in Middle French to help readers distinguish it from the word ou, which means 'or'.
Examples in context
- Tu peux aller n'importe où.You may go anywhere.This sentence shows how to express permission to go to any location using n'importe où.Tatoeba #468655 by sacredceltic, translation #16250 by CK
- Je te suivrai n'importe où.I'll follow you anywhere.This sentence illustrates the use of n'importe où to express following someone to any location.Tatoeba #2219197 by sacredceltic, translation #2213019 by Hybrid
- Es-tu blessé où que ce soit ?Are you hurt anywhere?This sentence demonstrates how to use où que ce soit in a question to ask about a location.Tatoeba #3640090 by sacredceltic, translation #3636360 by CK
- Vous pouvez voyager n'importe où dans le monde.You can travel anywhere in the world.
- On peut manger n'importe où ce soir.We can eat anywhere tonight.
- J'aime partir en vacances partout.I love going on vacations anywhere.
- Je peux trouver un café n'importe où dans cette ville.I can find a café anywhere in this city.
- Il est toujours motivé à voyager partout.He is always motivated to travel anywhere.
- 33 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chloé and Hugo are deciding where to eat dinner.
- ChloéOù veux-tu manger ce soir ?Where do you want to eat tonight?
- HugoOn peut aller n'importe où, c'est comme ça.We can go anywhere, it's up to you.
- ChloéVraiment ? Même au restaurant italien ?Really? Even at the Italian restaurant?
- HugoOui, n'importe où me convient.Yes, anywhere works for me.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “anywhere” translations and entries n'importe où, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ce, où, que, soit, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
