à côté
/a ko.te/
The English phrase "next door" is translated into French as à côté.
À côté is an adverb used to describe something situated in an adjacent home or place. Colloquially, you can use À côté to refer to what is located next door.
Meaning: in the adjacent home or place (adv)
What does it mean word for word?
The phrase à côté literally means "at side" or "at the side".
How does it change in a sentence?
When you want to specify what the object is next to, you must add de to the phrase to form à côté de.
How do you pronounce it?
The pronunciation of à côté is /a ko.te/. It has 2 syllables.
Did you know?
- When someone is being naive or missing the point, a French speaker might say they are à côté de la plaque, meaning they are 'next to the plate'.
- The word côté shares its history with the English word 'cost', as both stem from the Latin 'costātus' which referred to a side or a rib.
- In French, à côté can be used to describe something that is slightly off-center or inaccurate, similar to the English 'wide of the mark'.
Examples in context
- Tom vit à côté.Tom lives next door.This sentence shows how to use à côté to say someone lives next door.Tatoeba #5896061 by Aiji, translation #2667381 by meerkat
- Il habite à côté.He lives next door to us.Tatoeba #1286736 by sacredceltic, translation #294558 by CK
- C’est juste à côté.It's right next door.This sentence shows how to use à côté to say something is right next door.Tatoeba #525067 by zmoo, translation #1725445 by belgavox
- Ma sœur habite juste à côté.My sister lives right next door.
- 50 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Léa and Gabriel are neighbors talking in the hallway.
- LéaTu habites à côté ?Do you live next door?
- GabrielOui, j'habite juste à côté.Yes, I live right next door.
- LéaAh, c'est super !Ah, that's great!
- GabrielOn se voit souvent alors.We will see each other often then.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “next door” translations and entries à côté, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries côté, à, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
