où
/u/
The French word où is used to ask about or refer to a place or position.
How do you pronounce it?
/u/
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse ou (or) and où (where) because the accent is subtle, but the accent is essential to distinguish the two meanings.
Did you know?
- The word où shares a distant linguistic lineage with the Latin 'ubi', which is also the root for the English word 'ubiquity', meaning the state of being everywhere at once.
- While the accent on où is vital for writing, it is completely silent in speech. French speakers rely entirely on the context of the sentence to distinguish between 'where' and 'or'.
- The accent on où was not originally part of the word but was added during Middle French to prevent people from confusing it with ou, which means 'or'.
Examples in context
- Où est la gare ?Where is the train station?
- Tu vas où ?Where are you going?
- Où est-ce qu'on mange ?Where are we eating?
Example conversation
Gabriel and Léa are looking for a cafe in the city.
- GabrielOù est le café ?Where is the cafe?
- LéaC'est juste là-bas.It is just over there.
- GabrielAh, je le vois.Ah, I see it.
- LéaOn y va ?Shall we go?
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry où, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries où, CC BY-SA 4.0.
