ouest
/wɛst/
ouest is the French word for west.
The word ouest means west in English.
Which one should you use?
While ouest is the noun used for the direction, the adjective occidental should be used to describe things related to the West, such as in the phrase le monde occidental.
How does it change in a sentence?
When you are referring to the West as a specific direction or region, you use the definite article, which becomes l'ouest due to elision.
How do you pronounce it?
/wɛst/
Did you know?
- The French word ouest actually comes from the English word 'west'.
- In French, the opposite of l'ouest is l'est, but est is also the third-person singular form of the verb être meaning 'is'.
- When describing the 'Far West' of American mythology, the French use the term le Far West rather than translating it to le Grand Ouest.
Examples in context
- Nous devons aller vers l'ouest pour atteindre notre destination.We need to go west to reach our destination.
- Est-ce que tu sais comment aller à l'ouest depuis ici ?Do you know how to go west from here?
- Le soleil se couche à l'ouest.The sun sets in the west.
- Il faut prendre la route vers l'ouest.You must take the road towards the west.
- La ville se trouve à l'ouest de Paris.The city is located west of Paris.
Example conversation
Léa and Nathan are checking a map during a road trip.
- LéaOù est le prochain arrêt, Nathan ?Where is the next stop, Nathan?
- NathanC'est un peu plus à l'ouest.It is a little further west.
- LéaEst-ce qu'on va rouler vers l'ouest toute la journée ?Are we going to drive west all day?
- NathanOui, jusqu'à ce soir.Yes, until this evening.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry ouest, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries ouest, CC BY-SA 4.0.
