à la
/a la/
The English phrase "at the" is translated into French as à la.
à la is a prepositional phrase used to indicate a specific location or position.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase is composed of the preposition à (at/to) and the feminine definite article la (the).
How does it change in a sentence?
The phrase à la must change to au when the following noun is masculine.
How do you pronounce it?
/a la/
Did you know?
- The English phrase 'à la mode' is a direct loan from French, originally using à la to mean 'in the fashion of'.
- In French, the phrase à la is used to describe the manner of a gesture, such as à la main meaning 'by hand' rather than 'at the hand'.
- While à la indicates a place, the word à can also be used to express a price or a rate, such as saying something is sold à l'unité or 'by the unit'.
Examples in context
- Il est à la gare.He is at the station.This sentence is useful for seeing how to say someone is at the station using à la.Tatoeba #11791908 by Zahia_Ntmazirt, translation #11792098 by LdjuherTaqvaylit
- J'étais à la fête.I was at the party.This sentence shows how to use à la to say one was at a party.Tatoeba #839252 by U2FS, translation #255368 by CK
- Payez à la caisse.Pay at the cash register.This sentence demonstrates the use of à la when instructing someone to pay at the cash register.Tatoeba #3258289 by nimfeo, translation #3258290 by CK
- Je suis au restaurant.I am at the restaurant.
- Je suis à la plage.I am at the beach.
- Je suis à l'école.I am at school.
- Je suis chez Anne.I am at Anne's place.
- Je suis à la maison.I am at home.
- 780 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Emma and Gabriel are discussing their plans in a city.
- EmmaTu es à la bibliothèque ?Are you at the library?
- GabrielNon, je suis à la boulangerie.No, I am at the bakery.
- EmmaD'accord, je t'attends à la banque.Okay, I'll wait for you at the bank.
- GabrielParfait, on se voit là-bas.Perfect, see you there.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry à la, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries la, à, à la, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
