How to Say ‘Excuse me, where is the bank?’ in French
Excusez-moi, où est la banque ?
eks-kew-zey mwah oo eh lah bahnk
[eks-kew-zey mwah oo eh lah bahnk]
🇫🇷 In France: Opening with Excusez-moi, or better Bonjour first, matters in France. Asking a stranger directly without a greeting can come across as rude.
Phrase Breakdown
Excusez-moi,
eks-kew-zey mwah
Excuse me,
A polite way to get someone's attention: 'ex-kü-zay mwah'.
Excusez-moi, monsieur.
Excuse me, sir.
Words in this phrase
Excusez
[eks-kew-zey]
Excuse
A polite request for forgiveness or attention.
Excusez-moi, je dois passer.
Excuse me, I need to pass through.
-moi
[mwah]
me
Used to refer to oneself, asking for attention or pardon.
Excusez-moi de vous déranger.
Excuse me for disturbing you.
où est la banque ?
oo eh lah bahnk
where is the bank?
Say 'oo-eh la bahnk' with rising intonation at the end.
Où est la banque la plus proche ?
Where is the nearest bank?
Words in this phrase
où
[oo]
Where
At or in which place or situation.
Où est la station de taxi ?
Where is the taxi stand?
est
[eh]
is
Third person singular present of be.
C'est important.
It is important.
la
[lah]
the (feminine singular)
Definite article used before a feminine singular noun.
La réservation est déjà confirmée pour samedi soir.
The reservation is already confirmed for Saturday evening.
banque
[bahnk]
bank
Feminine noun for a financial institution.
La banque est fermée le dimanche.
The bank is closed on Sunday.
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