en haut
/ɑ̃ o/
Upstairs in French can be translated as en haut or à l'étage.
Meaning: up the stairs, on or to a higher floor or level (adv)
Ways to say it
| French | IPA |
|---|---|
| en haut | /ɑ̃ o/ |
| à l'étage | /a l‿e.taʒ/ |
You can use en haut as an adverb to indicate someone is at a higher level or position, or as an adjective to describe something located on a higher floor of a building.
Which one should you use?
Use en haut to indicate someone is at a higher level or position, such as being upstairs in a house. Use à l'étage specifically to mean 'on the floor above' in a building.
Related words
How do you pronounce it?
/ɑ̃ o/
Did you know?
- In France, the 'ground floor' is le rez-de-chaussée, meaning the first floor le premier étage is actually the level above the street.
- In French, calling someone hautain (from the same root as haut) means they are 'haughty' or acting superior, rather than just physically tall.
- In French architecture, l'étage noble refers to the most prestigious floor of a grand house, typically the first floor above the ground.
Examples in context
- Tom est en haut.Tom is upstairs.This sentence shows how to say Tom is upstairs using en haut.Tatoeba #5664436 by Yemana, translation #1868146 by CK
- Je suis en haut.I'm upstairs.This sentence shows how to say I am upstairs using en haut.Tatoeba #7411758 by lbdx, translation #2721193 by kieranjpball
- Ils sont en haut.They're upstairs.This sentence shows how to say They are upstairs using en haut.Tatoeba #9391899 by Micsmithel, translation #2111226 by CK
- Les toilettes sont à l'étage supérieur.The restrooms are on the upper floor.
- Va en haut, les livres sont au deuxième étage.Go upstairs, the books are on the second floor.
- 82 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Lucas and Manon are in a house.
- LucasOù est ton sac, Manon ?Where is your bag, Manon?
- ManonIl est en haut.It is upstairs.
- LucasTu peux aller le chercher ?Can you go get it?
- ManonOui, j'y vais.Yes, I'm going.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “upstairs” translations and entries en haut, à l'étage, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
