côté
/ko.te/masculine
The French word for "side" is côté.
côté refers to the bounding straight edge of an object. In more formal contexts, the word face can also be employed when referring to the sides of an object or a surface.
Meaning: bounding straight edge of an object (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
The plural form of côté is côtés.
How do you pronounce it?
The word has two syllables: /ko.te/.
What mistakes should you avoid?
English speakers often confuse côté (side) with coté (rated or ranked). Ensure you include the acute accent on the first e.
Did you know?
- In French slang, the phrase à côté de la plaque literally means 'beside the plate', but it actually means someone is completely wrong or has missed the point.
- The word côté is a distant relative of the English word 'coast', as both stem from the same Latin root referring to a side or flank.
- In culinary terms, when discussing the 'side' of a dish, a French speaker will almost always use the word accompagnement instead of côté.
Examples in context
- Il est à son côté.He's at her side.This sentence is useful for seeing how to say someone is at a person's side using côté.Tatoeba #1073418 by sacredceltic, translation #712993 by CH
- Je suis à ton côté.I'm on your side.This sentence shows how to express being on someone's side using côté.Tatoeba #1812410 by sacredceltic, translation #68795 by oschwimmer
- Reste à mes côtés !Rest by my side!This sentence is useful for the phrase 'by my side' using côté.Tatoeba #6330233 by felix63, translation #6796827 by Eccles17
- La partie droite de la photoThe right side of the picture
- La face inférieure de la feuilleThe bottom side of the leaf
- Je préfère m'asseoir du côté droitI prefer sitting on the right side
- De quel camp es-tu ?Which side are you on?
- les côtés opposésThe opposite sides
- la partie gaucheThe left side
- Le restaurant se trouve de l'autre côté de la rueThe restaurant is across the street
- Je préfère rester du côté ensoleillé de la terrasseI prefer staying on the sunny side of the terrace
- Assieds-toi à côté de moiSit next to me
- 212 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Hugo and Chloé are looking at a large wooden table.
- HugoIl y a une rayure sur ce côté.There is a scratch on this side.
- ChloéC'est vrai, sur le côté droit.That's true, on the right side.
- HugoTu vois l'autre côté ?Do you see the other side?
- ChloéNon, il est trop sombre.No, it is too dark.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “side” translations and entries côté, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries côté, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
