How to Ask Where the Police Station Is in French
Learn to ask 'Où est le commissariat ?' in French, understand basic directions, and know which word to use for police stations in France, Belgium and Switzerland.
By SofiaGetting around · Yapr Learn
If you need help in a French-speaking place, the single most useful question you can ask is where the police station is. In this lesson you will learn the standard French question 'Où est le commissariat ?', how to pronounce it clearly, and how to understand the short directions you are likely to get in reply. You will also learn the difference between a commissariat and a gendarmerie, and the regional words used in Belgium and Switzerland, so you ask the right question in the right place.
By the end, you can…
- ask where the police station is in French using a polite, complete question.
- understand and give simple directions such as left, right, straight on and near.
- choose the correct word for a police station in France, Belgium or Switzerland.
Listen once. Try it slowly. Then say it without looking.
Checking available voices…
Où est le commissariat ?
Where is the police station?
oo eh luh koh-mee-sar-ya
The standard question in France for a town police station. The final 't' of commissariat is silent.
Excusez-moi, où est le commissariat, s'il vous plaît ?
Excuse me, where is the police station, please?
eks-kew-zay mwah, oo eh luh koh-mee-sar-ya, seel voo pleh
A polite opening when stopping a stranger. 'Excusez-moi' comes first, then the question, then 's'il vous plaît'.
C'est loin ?
Is it far?
seh lwan
A short follow-up question after someone gives you a location. The 'n' is nasal, not pronounced as a hard n.
Tournez à gauche, puis tout droit.
Turn left, then straight on.
toor-nay ah gohsh, pwee too drwah
A typical answer you may hear. 'À gauche' means left, 'à droite' means right, 'tout droit' means straight ahead.
C'est à côté de la gare.
It's next to the train station.
seh tah koh-tay duh lah gar
A common way to locate a building. 'À côté de' means next to; you can replace 'la gare' with any landmark.
Pronunciation guides are approximate. Slow playback keeps the original pitch.
Make it make sense
Useful pattern
The core pattern is 'Où est + le/la/l' + place ?'. 'Où' means where, 'est' means is. Use 'le' with a masculine noun and 'la' with a feminine noun: 'Où est le commissariat ?' (masculine), 'Où est la gare ?' (feminine). Before a vowel, both become 'l'': 'Où est l'hôpital ?'. To be polite, add 's'il vous plaît' at the end, or begin with 'Excusez-moi'. In everyday speech many French speakers drop 'ne' in negatives, but in this question there is no negative, so the structure stays simple.
When to use it
Use 'le commissariat' in France for a town or city police station run by the police nationale. In rural areas and small towns, policing is often handled by the 'gendarmerie', so you may need to ask 'Où est la gendarmerie ?'. In Belgium, the usual word is 'le commissariat de police' or simply 'la police'. In Switzerland, you will often hear 'le poste de police'. If you are unsure, 'Où est la police ?' is understood everywhere, though it is less precise. For an emergency, call 17 in France, 101 in Belgium, or 117 in Switzerland.
Listen to each line, then take one part and reply out loud.
Excusez-moi, où est le commissariat, s'il vous plaît ?
Excuse me, where is the police station, please?eks-kew-zay mwah, oo eh luh koh-mee-sar-ya, seel voo plehC'est tout droit, puis à droite après la banque.
It's straight ahead, then right after the bank.seh too drwah, pwee ah drwaht ah-pray lah bahnkC'est loin ?
Is it far?seh lwanNon, c'est à cinq minutes à pied.
No, it's five minutes on foot.nohn, seh tah sank mee-newt ah pyayA little context goes a long way
In France, 'commissariat' and 'gendarmerie' are not interchangeable: the first is a city police station, the second a rural police station, usually outside town centres. Politeness matters: start with 'Bonjour' or 'Excusez-moi' before asking, and add 's'il vous plaît'. In Belgium and Switzerland, use the local term from the start, because 'commissariat' may sound specifically French.
One thing to watch for
Saying 'Où est la police ?' as your only question, or pronouncing the final 't' in 'commissariat'.
Try this instead: Use 'Où est le commissariat ?' in France, and keep the final 't' silent: 'koh-mee-sar-ya'. 'Où est la police ?' is understandable but vague, since 'la police' can mean the police force rather than a building.
Your turn
Try answering out loud before checking a possible answer.
1How do you ask 'Where is the police station?' in standard French?
Show a sample answer
Où est le commissariat ?
This uses 'Où est' plus the masculine noun 'le commissariat'. Adding 's'il vous plaît' is also correct and more polite.
2Someone says 'Tournez à gauche, puis tout droit.' Which way do you go first?
Show a sample answer
Left, then straight ahead.
'Tournez à gauche' means turn left; 'puis tout droit' means then straight on. The order matters.
3You are in a small Swiss town and need the police. Which word is most natural?
Show a sample answer
le poste de police
In Switzerland, 'le poste de police' is common. 'Le commissariat' is understood but sounds more French; 'la gendarmerie' refers to a different force.
Ask 'Où est le commissariat ?' in France, switch to 'le poste de police' in Switzerland and 'le commissariat de police' in Belgium, and listen for 'à gauche', 'à droite' and 'tout droit' in the answer.
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