Chez or à? Visit a person’s place or name the building
Say chez Nora, chez le médecin and à la pharmacie. Explore a neighbourhood, compare the patterns and practise the pronouns and contractions.
In short
Use chez with a person: chez Nora, chez moi, chez le médecin. Use à with a place name or building: à Lyon, à la pharmacie, au cinéma. Both patterns can say where you are or where you are going: the verb makes that difference.
Yellow the idea to rememberBlue French to learn
When do you use chez or à in French?
chez le boulangerat / to the baker’s
Focus: names the person associated with the premises
chez + person
Je vais chez le boulanger.
I’m going to the baker’s.
à la boulangerieat / to the bakery
Focus: names the shop itself
à + place
Je suis à la boulangerie.
I’m at the bakery.
Keep the article with a profession: chez le médecin, chez la dentiste. A personal name follows directly: chez Nora. Chez leaves le intact. With à, the masculine article contracts: à + le = au, as in au cinéma. With la, use à la.
A neighbourhood: name each destination
Find:
How do you say “at my place” in French?
| French | English |
|---|---|
| chez moi | at / to my place |
| chez toi | at / to your place (tu) |
| chez lui / chez elle | at / to his / her place |
| chez nous | at / to our place |
| chez vous | at / to your place (vous) |
| chez eux / chez elles | at / to their place |
- Nora
Tu vas chez le médecin ?
Are you going to the doctor’s?
- Lina
Oui, j’y vais à dix heures. Ensuite, je passe chez toi.
Yes, I’m going there at ten. Afterwards, I’ll drop by your place.
- Nora
D’accord. Je serai chez moi.
All right. I’ll be at home.
Y replaces the location in j’y vais. Compare je parle au médecin → je lui parle: there, the doctor is the person addressed. With chez, a destination is already complete: je vais chez toi.