How to Say ‘At the café on the square, near the town hall?’ in French
Au café de la place, près de la mairie ?
oh ka-FAY duh lah plass PREH duh lah meh-REE
[oh ka-FAY duh lah plass PREH duh lah meh-REE]
🇫🇷 In France: Suggesting a café for a first meeting is the classic French move. It's public, low-pressure and easy to stretch into a longer date or keep short.
Phrase Breakdown
Au café de la place,
oh ka-FAY duh lah plass
At the café on the square,
Say it as one smooth group, then pause briefly at the comma.
Rendez-vous au café de la place.
Meet at the café on the square.
Words in this phrase
Au
[oh]
at the
A phrase used to indicate location, time, or a condition.
Elle est au parc.
She is at the park.
café
[ka-FAY]
café (place)
A café or bar where people go for coffee or drinks.
On se retrouve au café ?
Shall we meet at the café?
de
[duh]
of
Expressing the relationship between part and a whole.
Un verre de lait.
A glass of milk.
la
[lah]
the
A definite article preceding a noun.
La porte est ouverte.
The door is open.
place
[plass]
square
A town square or public plaza.
Il y a un marché sur la place.
There is a market on the square.
près de la mairie ?
PREH duh lah meh-REE
near the town hall?
Gives the location. Your voice rises at the end because it's a question.
La poste est près de la mairie.
The post office is near the town hall.
Words in this phrase
près
[PREH]
near
Used with 'de' to mean close to.
J'habite près de la gare.
I live near the station.
de
[duh]
of
Expressing the relationship between part and a whole.
Un verre de lait.
A glass of milk.
la
[lah]
the
A definite article preceding a noun.
La porte est ouverte.
The door is open.
mairie
[meh-REE]
town hall
Feminine noun for the mayor's office and local government building, a common landmark.
La mairie est fermée le dimanche.
The town hall is closed on Sundays.
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