Plage or côte: a beach, the coast and three useful accents
Choose plage or côte with a seaside scene, learn à la plage and sur la côte, then check côte, côté and cote with a short quiz.
In short
Une plage is a beach; la côte is the coast, which can include beaches, cliffs, harbours and towns. Say aller à la plage for going to the beach and habiter sur la côte for living on the coast. Both nouns are feminine.
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What is the difference between plage and côte?
la plagethe beach
Focus: a particular place beside the water
à la plage / sur la plage
Nous allons à la plage.
We’re going to the beach.
Les enfants jouent sur la plage.
The children are playing on the beach.
la côtethe coast
Focus: the wider land along the sea
sur la côte / le long de la côte
Ils habitent sur la côte.
They live on the coast.
La route longe la côte.
The road follows the coast.
Explore the coast
Find:
A beach can be sandy, pebbly or beside a lake: une plage au bord d’un lac. The coast is the broader seaside area. In monter une côte, however, côte means a hill or slope. The cyclists climb the inland road; the verb monter brings that meaning into focus.
What is the difference between côte, côté and cote?
| French | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| la côte | coast; hill; rib | Nous marchons le long de la côte. |
| le côté | side | Le café est du côté gauche de la rue. |
| la cote | rating; popularity in avoir la cote | Ce chanteur a la cote. |
Je suis libre sur cette plage horaire : de dix heures à midi.
I’m free in this time slot: from ten until midday.
Une plage horaire is a time slot. Here plage refers to a range, rather than a seaside place.