en bas de
The English phrase "down the" is translated into French as en bas de.
en bas de is used to describe a position at the lower end of something.
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase en bas de literally means "at the bottom of".
How does it change in a sentence?
When the noun following en bas de is masculine, de + le contracts to du.
Did you know?
- In French, the word bas can also be used as a noun to mean 'stocking', showing how its meaning shifted from 'low' to specific items of clothing.
- In a French apartment building, en bas does not just mean the ground floor, but can refer to any level below the speaker's current position.
- The word bas is used in the term bas-relief, a type of sculpture where the figures project only slightly from the background.
Examples in context
- J'habite juste en bas de la rue.I live right down the road.This sentence is useful for describing where you live in relation to a street using en bas de.Tatoeba #12025972 by lbdx, translation #5259297 by CK
- Ils habitent en bas de la colline.They live down the hill.This sentence shows how to use en bas de to describe a position regarding a hill.Tatoeba #7821721 by theachaean, translation #13871045 by zogwarg
- Ma voiture est garée en bas de la rue.My car is parked down the street.This sentence demonstrates the use of en bas de to describe the location of a parked car on a street.Tatoeba #8110908 by Aiji, translation #3448711 by CK
- Ma maison est en bas de la collineMy house is down the hill
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are looking for a local bakery.
- LéaIl y a une boulangerie en bas de la rue.There is a bakery down the street.
- GabrielEst-elle loin d'ici?Is it far from here?
- LéaNon, elle est juste en bas de la pente.No, it is just down the slope.
- GabrielD'accord, on y va alors.Okay, let's go then.
Sources
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
