A2 Expression Neutral 1 Min. Lesezeit

C'est à gauche.

It's on the left.

Jetzt üben

Phrase in 30 Seconds

Use 'C'est à gauche' to tell someone that a location is situated on their left side.

  • Means: It is on the left side.
  • Used in: Giving directions, finding a shop, or locating an object.
  • Don't confuse: 'À gauche' (to the left) with 'gauche' (the adjective meaning awkward/clumsy).
Pointing finger + Left arrow = Clear direction

Erklärung auf deinem Niveau:

This phrase means 'It is on the left side'. You use it when you show someone where a place is. It is very easy to learn and very useful for travel.
At this level, you use 'C'est à gauche' to provide clear spatial information. It is a fixed expression that combines the demonstrative 'c'est' with the prepositional phrase 'à gauche'. It is essential for navigating cities and helping others find locations.
The phrase functions as a locative indicator. It is highly productive in daily communication. While simple, it demonstrates the French reliance on prepositional structures for spatial orientation. It is distinct from the imperative 'tournez à gauche', which is used for movement instructions.
This expression serves as a foundational element in spatial deixis. By utilizing 'C'est à gauche', the speaker establishes a clear reference point in the listener's mental map. It is important to distinguish between the static location ('C'est à gauche') and the dynamic movement ('Allez à gauche').
From a linguistic perspective, 'C'est à gauche' represents a prototypical spatial construction. It utilizes the neutral 'ce' to identify a location, followed by a prepositional phrase that functions as an adverbial of place. Its usage is constrained by the speaker's perspective relative to the listener, often requiring deictic anchoring.
The phrase exemplifies the economy of French spatial syntax. By employing a fixed prepositional structure, it bypasses the need for complex verbal morphology. Its semantic stability allows it to function across various registers, from casual navigation to formal architectural descriptions, while maintaining its core deictic function within the discourse space.

Bedeutung

Giving a direction to the left side.

🌍

Kultureller Hintergrund

Directions are often given with hand gestures.

💡

Gesture

Always point when saying it.

💡

Gesture

Always point when saying it.

Teste dich selbst

Complete the sentence.

Où est la sortie ? _______ à gauche.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: C'est

Use 'C'est' for identifying locations.

🎉 Ergebnis: /1

Visuelle Lernhilfen

Aufgabensammlung

2 Aufgaben
Wähle die richtige Antwort Fill Blank

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort:
Complete the sentence. Fill Blank A1

Où est la sortie ? _______ à gauche.

✓ Richtig! ✗ Nicht ganz. Richtige Antwort: C'est

Use 'C'est' for identifying locations.

🎉 Ergebnis: /2

Häufig gestellte Fragen

1 Fragen

No, it is neutral.

Verwandte Redewendungen

🔗

À droite

contrast

To the right

Wo du es verwendest

🗺️

Asking a stranger

Tourist: Pardon, où est la poste ?

Local: C'est à gauche, juste après la banque.

neutral

Einprägen

Eselsbrücke

G-auche starts with G, like 'Go left'.

Visuelle Assoziation

Imagine a giant letter G on the left side of a street sign.

Rhyme

To find the path that's left, use 'gauche' with no theft.

Story

I was lost in Paris. I asked a local. He pointed his finger and said 'C'est à gauche'. I followed his hand and found my hotel immediately.

In Other Languages

Similar to 'A sinistra' in Italian or 'A la izquierda' in Spanish.

Word Web

gauchedroitetournertout droitrueicilà-bas

Herausforderung

For one day, whenever you see a sign or a door on your left, whisper 'C'est à gauche'.

Review in 1, 3, 7, and 14 days.

Aussprache

Betonung End of phrase

The 'g' is hard, 'au' is 'oh', 'ch' is 'sh'.

Formalitätsspektrum

Formell
L'objet se situe sur la gauche.

L'objet se situe sur la gauche. (Giving directions)

Neutral
C'est à gauche.

C'est à gauche. (Giving directions)

Informell
C'est à gauche !

C'est à gauche ! (Giving directions)

Umgangssprache
À gauche, là !

À gauche, là ! (Giving directions)

From the Frankish 'wankjan' meaning to stumble.

Medieval:

Wusstest du?

In the Middle Ages, left-handedness was often seen as suspicious.

Kulturelle Hinweise

Directions are often given with hand gestures.

“C'est à gauche (pointing).”

Gesprächseinstiege

“

Où est la bibliothèque ?

Häufige Fehler

✗

C'est le gauche

✓

C'est à gauche

wrong preposition
You don't need an article before 'gauche' when using the preposition 'à'.

L1 Interference

0 1

In Other Languages

Spanish Very Similar

Está a la izquierda

Spanish uses 'la' (the) while French does not.

German moderate

Es ist links

German does not use a preposition like 'à'.

Japanese moderate

左です (Hidari desu)

Japanese structure is subject-predicate.

Arabic Very Similar

إنه على اليسار (Innahu 'ala al-yasar)

Arabic requires a definite article.

Chinese moderate

在左边 (Zài zuǒbiān)

Chinese uses a specific word for 'side'.

Korean moderate

왼쪽에 있어요 (Oenjjoge isseoyo)

Korean uses an existential verb.

Portuguese Very Similar

É à esquerda

Portuguese uses 'esquerda' instead of 'gauche'.

English Very Similar

It's on the left

Preposition choice.

Spotted in the Real World

🎬

(2001)

“C'est à gauche.”

Giving directions.

Leicht verwechselbar

C'est à gauche. vs. À gauche vs Gauche

Adverb vs Adjective

Use 'à gauche' for location.

Häufig gestellte Fragen (1)

No, it is neutral.

usage contexts

Learning Path

Prerequisites

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