🧭 Japanese Place, Time & Linking Words Vocabulary Lieu, temps et liaisons

56 essential French words for the Place, Time & Linking Words scene, each with IPA, English meaning, CEFR level and native speaker audio, plus example sentences. Tap 🔊 to listen.

• 🔊
  ici /isi/ A1

  here (this place, where the speaker is)

  Tu peux t'asseoir ici, à côté de moi.You can sit here, next to me.
• 🔊
  là /la/ A1

  there; in everyday speech it is also used loosely for "here" (je suis là = I'm here)

  Pose ton sac là, sur la chaise.Put your bag there, on the chair.
• 🔊
  alors /alɔʁ/ A1

  so, then (draws a conclusion or links two moments)

  Il pleut, alors on reste à la maison.It's raining, so we're staying home.
• 🔊
  encore /ɑ̃kɔʁ/ A1

  again, one more time (with a negative or a state it means "still": il est encore là = he's still there)

  Tu peux répéter encore une fois ?Can you say it one more time?
• 🔊
  pourquoi /puʁkwa/ A1

  why (asks for a reason)

  Dis-moi pourquoi tu es en retard.Tell me why you're late.
• 🔊
  comment /komɑ̃/ A1

  how, in what way

  Explique-moi comment ça marche.Explain to me how it works.
• 🔊
  peut-être /pøtɛtʁ/ A1

  maybe, perhaps (at the start of a sentence it needs "que" or inversion: peut-être qu'il vient / peut-être vient-il)

  Il est peut-être déjà parti.He has maybe already left.
• 🔊
  pourtant /puʁtɑ̃/ B1

  yet, and still (marks a surprising contrast)

  Il a pourtant travaillé très dur.And yet he worked very hard.
• 🔊
  autour /otuʁ/ A2

  around, round about (usually followed by "de": autour de la maison)

  Il y a un beau jardin autour de la maison.There's a lovely garden around the house.
• 🔊
  ailleurs /ajœʁ/ B1

  elsewhere, somewhere else

  Ce café est plein, allons ailleurs.This café is full, let's go somewhere else.
• 🔊
  puis /pɥi/ A1

  then, next (puts two actions in order)

  On dîne, puis on va au cinéma.We have dinner, then we go to the cinema.
• 🔊
  là-bas /laba/ A1

  over there (a place clearly away from the speaker)

  Le musée est là-bas, après le pont.The museum is over there, past the bridge.
• 🔊
  après /apʁɛ/ A1

  afterwards, later (used alone; with a noun it becomes a preposition: après le repas)

  On mange d'abord et après on sort.We eat first and afterwards we go out.
• 🔊
  aussitôt /osito/ B2

  immediately, straight away

  Elle est partie aussitôt après le repas.She left immediately after the meal.
• 🔊
  dehors /døɔʁ/ A2

  outside, outdoors

  Les enfants jouent dehors depuis ce matin.The children have been playing outside since this morning.
• 🔊
  partout /paʁtu/ A2

  everywhere, all over

  J'ai cherché mes clés partout dans la maison.I looked for my keys everywhere in the house.
• 🔊
  au-dessus /odəsy/ A2

  above, over (usually followed by "de"; opposite of au-dessous)

  L'avion vole au-dessus des nuages.The plane is flying above the clouds.
• 🔊
  d'abord /dabɔʁ/ A1

  first, first of all (opens a sequence: d'abord… ensuite… enfin)

  Range d'abord ta chambre, tu joueras après.Tidy your room first, you'll play afterwards.
• 🔊
  ensuite /ɑ̃sɥit/ A1

  then, next, after that (the second step of a sequence)

  Fais tes devoirs, ensuite tu pourras sortir.Do your homework, then you'll be able to go out.
• 🔊
  debout /dəbu/ A2

  standing, on one's feet; alone it also means "get up!"

  Il est resté debout pendant tout le concert.He stayed standing for the whole concert.
• 🔊
  près /pʁɛ/ A1

  near, close by (with a place it takes "de": près de la gare)

  La boulangerie est tout près d'ici.The bakery is very close to here.
• 🔊
  loin /lwɛ̃/ A1

  far, far away (opposite of près; with a place it takes "de")

  La gare n'est pas très loin d'ici.The station isn't very far from here.
• 🔊
  depuis /dəpɥi/ A2

  since, for (a starting point that still lasts; French uses the present tense: j'habite ici depuis trois ans)

  J'habite ici depuis trois ans.I've been living here for three years.
• 🔊
  cependant /səpɑ̃dɑ̃/ B2

  however, nevertheless (more formal than "mais", common in writing)

  Le film est long ; il est cependant passionnant.The film is long; however, it is gripping.
• 🔊
  sûrement /syʁəmɑ̃/ B1

  surely, most probably (expresses strong likelihood, not certainty)

  Il a sûrement oublié notre rendez-vous.He has surely forgotten our appointment.
• 🔊
  autrefois /otʁəfwa/ B2

  formerly, in the old days (formal/literary register; spoken French prefers 'avant')

  Ce village était autrefois un port très actif.This village was formerly a very busy port.
• 🔊
  désormais /dezɔʁmɛ/ B2

  from now on, henceforth (formal register; common in writing and the media)

  Le magasin sera désormais ouvert le dimanche.From now on the shop will be open on Sundays.
• 🔊
  évidemment /evidamɑ̃/ B1

  obviously, of course

  Elle a évidemment raison sur ce point.She is obviously right on this point.
• 🔊
  derrière /dɛʁjɛʁ/ A2

  behind, at the back (used alone as an adverb here; also a preposition, 'behind sth')

  Ne reste pas derrière, viens marcher avec nous !Don't stay behind, come and walk with us!
• 🔊
  devant /dəvɑ̃/ A2

  in front, ahead (used alone as an adverb here; also a preposition, 'in front of')

  Marche devant, je te suis.Walk in front, I'll follow you.
• 🔊
  justement /ʒystəmɑ̃/ B1

  precisely, exactly; as it happens

  C'est justement ce que je voulais te dire.That's precisely what I wanted to tell you.
• 🔊
  dedans /dədɑ̃/ A2

  inside, in it (adverb, never followed by a noun)

  Ouvre la boîte et regarde dedans.Open the box and look inside.
• 🔊
  là-dedans /ladədɑ̃/ B1

  in there, inside that (points to a place already mentioned)

  Je ne trouve rien là-dedans, c'est trop en désordre.I can't find anything in there, it's too messy.
• 🔊
  naturellement /natyʁɛləmɑ̃/ B1

  naturally; of course

  Il a naturellement accepté de nous aider.Naturally, he agreed to help us.
• 🔊
  certes /sɛʁt/ B2

  admittedly, granted (formal/written concession, usually answered by 'mais')

  C'est certes difficile, mais ce n'est pas impossible.It is admittedly difficult, but it is not impossible.
• 🔊
  probablement /pʁobabləmɑ̃/ B1

  probably

  Il va probablement pleuvoir cet après-midi.It will probably rain this afternoon.
• 🔊
  là-haut /lao/ B1

  up there (a place higher than the speaker)

  Regarde là-haut, il y a un nid d'oiseaux.Look up there, there's a bird's nest.
• 🔊
  tantôt /tɑ̃to/ B2

  shortly, later today (formal/regional); repeated 'tantôt… tantôt…' means 'sometimes… sometimes…'

  Il passera tantôt, en début d'après-midi.He'll come by later, in the early afternoon.
• 🔊
  quelquefois /kɛlkəfwa/ B1

  sometimes, occasionally (slightly more formal than 'parfois')

  Je vais quelquefois au théâtre avec ma sœur.I sometimes go to the theatre with my sister.
• 🔊
  certainement /sɛʁtɛnəmɑ̃/ B1

  certainly, most likely

  Vous avez certainement raison de vous inquiéter.You are certainly right to worry.
• 🔊
  finalement /finaləmɑ̃/ B1

  in the end, finally (after hesitation or several options)

  Nous avons finalement choisi le restaurant italien.In the end we chose the Italian restaurant.
• 🔊
  au-delà /odəla/ B2

  beyond, farther than that (as an adverb; with a complement it becomes 'au-delà de')

  La forêt commence ici et continue bien au-delà.The forest starts here and goes on well beyond.
• 🔊
  c'est-à-dire /sɛtadiʁ/ B1

  that is to say, in other words (introduces a clarification)

  Il arrive demain, c'est-à-dire le 3 mai.He arrives tomorrow, that is to say on 3 May.
• 🔊
  heureusement /øʁøzəmɑ̃/ B1

  fortunately, luckily

  Il pleuvait, mais heureusement j'avais un parapluie.It was raining, but fortunately I had an umbrella.
• 🔊
  apparemment /apaʁamɑ̃/ B1

  apparently, seemingly (reports second-hand information)

  Elle n'est pas venue, apparemment elle est malade.She didn't come; apparently she is ill.
• 🔊
  auparavant /opaʁavɑ̃/ B2

  beforehand, previously (formal register; spoken French prefers 'avant')

  Nous partirons à midi, mais auparavant il faut tout ranger.We'll leave at noon, but beforehand everything must be tidied up.
• 🔊
  toutefois /tutəfwa/ B2

  however, nevertheless (formal/written register)

  Le projet est intéressant ; toutefois il coûte trop cher.The project is interesting; however, it costs too much.
• 🔊
  malheureusement /maløʁøzəmɑ̃/ A2

  unfortunately, sadly

  Nous sommes malheureusement complets ce soir.Unfortunately we are fully booked tonight.
• 🔊
  là-dessus /ladəsy/ B2

  on that (point/subject); on top of that; thereupon, at that moment

  Nous ne sommes pas d'accord là-dessus.We do not agree on that point.
• 🔊
  décidément /desidemɑ̃/ B2

  really, honestly (marks a confirmed impression, often mild exasperation)

  Tu es décidément très têtu !You really are very stubborn!
• 🔊
  jusque-là /ʒyskəla/ B1

  until then, up to that point; up to there (place)

  Il faut attendre jusque-là pour connaître le résultat.You have to wait until then to know the result.
• 🔊
  forcément /fɔʁsemɑ̃/ B1

  necessarily, inevitably; naturally, of course

  Ce n'est pas forcément une mauvaise idée.That is not necessarily a bad idea.
• 🔊
  visiblement /vizibləmɑ̃/ B1

  visibly, obviously, evidently (from what one can see)

  Elle était visiblement fatiguée après le voyage.She was visibly tired after the trip.
• 🔊
  naguère /nagɛʁ/ C1

  not long ago, a short while back (literary; NOT 'long ago' — that is jadis/autrefois)

  Ce quartier était naguère un simple village.This neighbourhood was, not long ago, a simple village.
• 🔊
  dessus /dəsy/ B1

  on it, on top, over it (refers back to something already mentioned)

  Prends la boîte et écris ton nom dessus.Take the box and write your name on it.
• 🔊
  au-dessous /odəsu/ B1

  below, underneath, further down

  Le prix est indiqué juste au-dessous.The price is shown just below.

FAQ

← Degree & Manner · Vocabulary

Learn this scene in the app (SRS + quizzes) →