Using 'Chez' (At Someone's Place)
chez when the destination is a person, not a building, to sound natural and fluent.
Grammar Rule in 30 Seconds
Use 'chez' to say you are at or going to someone's home, office, or place of business.
- Use 'chez' + person: 'Je vais chez Marie' (I am going to Marie's place).
- Use 'chez' + pronoun: 'Je suis chez moi' (I am at my place).
- Use 'chez' + profession: 'Je vais chez le médecin' (I am going to the doctor's office).
Overview
In French, expressing the idea of being "at someone's place" or "to someone's place" is elegantly handled by the preposition chez. Unlike English, where you might say "at my house," "at the doctor's office," or "at Google," French streamlines these concepts into a single, highly versatile word. At its core, chez signifies a direct relationship with a person, their dwelling, their professional establishment, or even their intellectual domain.
It encapsulates both location and direction, meaning it can translate to "at," "to," or "in the home/place of" someone.
This specific usage reflects a nuanced linguistic principle in French: a tendency to associate locations and services directly with the individual or entity providing them, rather than solely with the inanimate building or institution. For an A2 learner, mastering chez not only expands your ability to discuss locations but also provides insight into a more person-centric way of viewing spaces and interactions in French culture. It's a fundamental element for natural, idiomatic expression, allowing you to move beyond literal translations like à la maison de which are rarely used in this context.
How This Grammar Works
Chez functions as an immutable preposition, meaning its form never changes. Its unique characteristic lies in its implicit meaning of "at the home of," "at the establishment of," or "among." Crucially, chez always refers to a person or a collective entity strongly identified with human activity, such as a company, a professional, or a group of individuals. It does not combine with inanimate places like chez la plage (at the beach) or chez le cinéma (at the cinema), as these lack the personal association chez requires.à or dans (à la plage, au cinéma).Je suis à la banque (I am at the bank — referring to the building) and Je suis chez le banquier (I am at the banker's office — referring to the person). While both denote being at a bank, chez le banquier specifically implies interaction with the professional. Similarly, Je rentre à la maison (I'm going home — a general action) contrasts with Je rentre chez moi (I'm going to my place — emphasizing your personal dwelling).chez's role in conveying a personal, rather than purely physical, connection to a location.chez extends beyond physical location to denote an abstract realm. For instance, when discussing an artist's style or a writer's thematic concerns, you might encounter phrases like C'est un thème récurrent chez Molière (It's a recurring theme in Molière's works). Here, chez signifies "in the works of" or "characteristic of," illustrating its capacity to refer to an individual's intellectual or creative domain.Formation Pattern
chez is straightforward: it is always followed by a noun or pronoun that represents a person or a personified entity. There are no conjugations or complex agreements to memorize, making it an accessible structure for A2 learners.
Chez + Stressed Pronoun
je | moi |
tu | toi |
il | lui |
elle | elle |
nous | nous |
vous | vous |
ils | eux |
elles | elles |
Je vais chez toi après le travail. (I'm going to your place after work.)
Ils mangent souvent chez nous le dimanche. (They often eat at our place on Sundays.)
Tu es chez lui en ce moment ? (Are you at his place right now?)
chez (ch-eh) typically does not trigger liaison on its own, when followed by eux or elles, a mandatory liaison occurs, linking the /z/ sound from chez to the vowel of the pronoun. Thus, chez eux is pronounced /ʃe.z‿ø/ and chez elles is /ʃe.z‿ɛl/. However, for chez moi, chez toi, etc., there is no liaison.
Chez + Proper Noun (Person's Name)
chez.
Nous dînons chez Marie ce soir. (We're having dinner at Marie's tonight.)
Il a laissé son sac chez Pierre hier. (He left his bag at Pierre's yesterday.)
Tu devrais aller chez le docteur Dubois pour ça. (You should go to Doctor Dubois' place/office for that.)
chez les followed by the family name (without an 's' for plural, as French family names are invariant).
On passe Noël chez les Dupont cette année. (We're spending Christmas at the Duponts' this year.)
Chez + Article + Profession
le, la, l', les) that agrees with the profession's gender and number.
J'ai rendez-vous chez le dentiste à 10h. (I have an appointment at the dentist's at 10 AM.)
Elle va souvent chez la coiffeuse le samedi. (She often goes to the hairdresser's on Saturdays.)
Les enfants adorent les gâteaux chez le boulanger. (The children love the cakes from the baker's.)
Chez + Company/Brand Name
chez to indicate employment or association with a company, treating the company as a collective entity embodying its workforce.
Il travaille chez Renault depuis dix ans. (He has been working at Renault for ten years.)
On a acheté cette télé chez Darty. (We bought this TV at Darty.)
Beaucoup d'innovations viennent chez Google. (Many innovations come from Google.)
When To Use It
Chez is a versatile preposition used in several distinct contexts, all rooted in its core meaning of association with a person or personified entity. Recognizing these primary applications will help you integrate chez naturally into your French communication.chez. It replaces cumbersome phrases like "at the house of" or "to the apartment of." It's an efficient way to talk about visiting or being at someone's personal living space, regardless of the type of residence.Viens dîner chez moi ce soir !(Come have dinner at my place tonight!)Est-ce que tu es déjà chez elle ?(Are you already at her place?)Les enfants jouent chez leurs amis après l'école.(The children play at their friends' place after school.)
J'ai un rendez-vous chez le médecin pour mon bras.(I have an appointment at the doctor's for my arm.)Elle va chez l'opticien pour ses nouvelles lunettes.(She's going to the optician's for her new glasses.)Il est temps d'aller chez le garagiste pour la révision.(It's time to go to the mechanic's for the service.)
chez is often used. It signifies being part of or dealing with that collective entity.Mon père travaille chez Airbus comme ingénieur.(My father works at Airbus as an engineer.)On a trouvé de bonnes affaires chez Carrefour cette semaine.(We found good deals at Carrefour this week.)La nouvelle campagne publicitaire a été conçue chez Ogilvy.(The new advertising campaign was designed at Ogilvy.)
On retrouve souvent le thème de l'absurde chez Camus.(One often finds the theme of the absurd in Camus's works.)Cette générosité est très typique chez les Français.(This generosity is very typical among French people.)Il y a une certaine mélancolie chez Baudelaire.(There is a certain melancholy in Baudelaire's work/style.)
Common Mistakes
chez. Understanding these common errors and their underlying reasons is key to developing accurate and idiomatic French.à chez Constructionà (to/at) with chez, forming à chez. This is grammatically incorrect and redundant because chez already inherently contains the idea of both location and direction ("at the place of" or "to the place of").- Incorrect:
Je vais à chez Pierre. - Correct:
Je vais chez Pierre.(I'm going to Pierre's place.)
chez as a complete unit for "to/at [person]'s place." Adding à is like saying "to to Pierre's place." You wouldn't say "at at my house" in English.chez with Inanimate Objects or Generic Placeschez requires a personal or personified reference. Attempting to use it with inanimate objects or general places without a clear human association is incorrect.- Incorrect:
Je vais chez le supermarché.(A supermarket is a building/institution, not a person.) - Correct:
Je vais au supermarché.(I'm going to the supermarket.)
- Incorrect:
Elle est chez la plage.(A beach is a physical location, not a person.) - Correct:
Elle est à la plage.(She is at the beach.)
chez is likely inappropriate. This includes countries and cities (à Paris, en France, not chez Paris, chez la France).avec (With)chez and avec involve proximity to a person, their meanings are distinct:Chez: Implies being at a person's dwelling or professional location.Avec: Implies being in the company of a person, regardless of the specific location.
Chez Example | Avec Example |Je mange chez Marc. (I eat at Marc's place.) | Je mange avec Marc. (I eat with Marc.) |- Incorrect:
Je suis avec le docteur.(This means you are merely in his company, perhaps walking down the street.) - Correct (for an appointment):
Je suis chez le docteur.(I am at the doctor's office.)
à la maison and chez moiÀ la maison: A general, somewhat impersonal reference to the concept of "home" or "at one's residence." It often implies arriving or being in the general vicinity of home.Chez moi(chez toi,chez lui, etc.): A more personal and common expression, specifically referring to your personal dwelling. It emphasizes the possessive aspect.
Je rentre à la maison. | I'm going home. | General, focus on the action. |Je rentre chez moi. | I'm going to my place. | Personal, focus on your dwelling. |Je suis à la maison. | I am at home. | General, focus on the state. |Je suis chez moi. | I am at my place. | Personal, focus on your dwelling. |à la maison is perfectly correct, chez moi is more frequently used in casual conversation to denote one's own living space.Real Conversations
Chez is an indispensable part of everyday French, appearing in casual exchanges, professional contexts, and even written communications. Its conciseness makes it ideal for modern communication styles.
Informal/Social:
- "_Salut ! On se retrouve chez moi vers 19h ?_" (Hey! We meeting at my place around 7 PM?)
- "_Désolé, je ne peux pas, je dois aller chez ma grand-mère._" (Sorry, I can't, I have to go to my grandma's.)
- "_Tu as vu le nouveau film ? Il est incroyable chez le réalisateur !_" (Have you seen the new movie? It's incredible coming from that director! — referring to the director's unique style/work.)
Professional/Appointments:
- "_J'ai rendez-vous chez le coiffeur après le travail._" (I have an appointment at the hairdresser's after work.)
- "_La réunion aura lieu chez le client ce matin._" (The meeting will take place at the client's office this morning.)
- "_Elle travaille chez Orange depuis la fin de ses études._" (She has been working at Orange since she finished her studies.)
Requests/Questions:
- "_Tu as laissé tes clés chez qui ?_" (Whose place did you leave your keys at?)
- "_On peut passer chez vous en rentrant ?_" (Can we stop by your place on the way back?)
- "_C'est une tradition chez les Bretons._" (It's a tradition among the Bretons.)
Notice how in these examples, chez effortlessly conveys both the location and the personal connection without requiring additional prepositions or descriptive clauses. This directness is a hallmark of natural French.
Quick FAQ
chez for a shop or restaurant?- A: Generally, no, unless the establishment is strongly personified or named after a person/profession. For example,
chez le boucher(at the butcher's),chez le fleuriste(at the florist's) are common. Similarly, some restaurants or boutiques might use "Chez + Name" in their actual title (e.g.,Chez L'Ami Jean), in which caseJe dîne chez L'Ami Jeanis correct. However, for generic shops likeun supermarchéorun café, you would useau supermarchéorau café.Chez Starbucksis sometimes heard, treating "Starbucks" as a brand entity, butau Starbucksorà Starbucksis also common.
chez moi always imply a house?- A: No.
Chez moi(orchez toi, etc.) simply means "at my dwelling/residence." This could be an apartment, a dorm room, a boat, or any place you call home. It's about your personal living space, whatever form it takes.
- A: You use
chez lesfollowed by the family name, without adding an 's' to the name itself. For example,chez les Dubois(at the Dubois' place),chez les Martin(at the Martins' place). French family names do not pluralize with an 's' for this usage.
chez formal or informal?- A:
Chezis neither exclusively formal nor informal. It is a fundamental, versatile preposition used across all registers of the French language, from highly formal writing and speech to casual conversations and text messages. Its appropriateness depends entirely on the context and the entity it refers to, not on its inherent formality.
chez to talk about my pet's living space?- A: Only if you are speaking figuratively or personifying your pet to a significant degree. For example, if your dog has a luxurious doghouse, you might jokingly say
Venez chez mon chien(Come to my dog's place). However, in standard usage,chezrefers to humans or human-associated entities. For a literal animal habitat, you would use other prepositions and nouns, likedans la niche du chien(in the dog's kennel).
- A: No, you do not use
chezfor countries or cities. For cities, useà:à Paris,à Rome. For countries, useen(feminine countries or masculine starting with a vowel) orau(masculine countries starting with a consonant):en France,au Canada,aux États-Unis.Chezis strictly for a person or a personified entity, not a geographical location like a nation or metropolis.
Formation of 'Chez'
| Preposition | Target | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Chez
|
Name
|
Chez Marie
|
|
Chez
|
Tonic Pronoun
|
Chez moi
|
|
Chez
|
Profession
|
Chez le coiffeur
|
|
Chez
|
Company
|
Chez Google
|
|
Chez
|
Group
|
Chez les étudiants
|
Contractions
| None |
|---|
|
Chez does not contract with articles.
|
Meanings
The preposition 'chez' indicates a location associated with a person, their home, or their place of work.
At someone's home
Being physically present at the residence of a specific person.
“Il est chez lui.”
“Nous allons chez Julie.”
At a professional's office
Visiting a professional at their place of business.
“Je vais chez le dentiste.”
“Elle travaille chez le coiffeur.”
In the works of an author
Referring to the style or ideas found within a specific writer's body of work.
“Chez Molière, on trouve souvent de l'ironie.”
“C'est un thème récurrent chez Victor Hugo.”
Reference Table
| Form | Structure | Example |
|---|---|---|
|
Affirmative
|
S + V + chez + X
|
Je vais chez lui.
|
|
Negative
|
S + ne + V + pas + chez + X
|
Je ne vais pas chez lui.
|
|
Question
|
Est-ce que + S + V + chez + X ?
|
Est-ce que tu vas chez lui ?
|
|
Inversion
|
V-S + chez + X ?
|
Vas-tu chez lui ?
|
|
Pronoun
|
Chez + moi/toi/lui/elle
|
C'est chez moi.
|
|
Profession
|
Chez + le/la + Prof
|
Je vais chez le médecin.
|
Formality Spectrum
Je me rends chez mon ami. (Social visit)
Je vais chez mon ami. (Social visit)
Je vais chez un pote. (Social visit)
Je trace chez mon gars. (Social visit)
The Domain of Chez
People
- Marie Marie
- mon ami my friend
Professions
- le médecin the doctor
- le coiffeur the hairdresser
Pronouns
- moi me
- lui him
Chez vs À
Examples by Level
Je vais chez Paul.
I am going to Paul's place.
Elle est chez elle.
She is at her place.
Nous dînons chez Marc.
We are dining at Marc's.
Tu vas chez le médecin ?
Are you going to the doctor?
Je suis chez moi.
I am at my place.
On va chez vous ce soir ?
Are we going to your place tonight?
Il travaille chez le boulanger.
He works at the baker's.
Elle n'est pas chez eux.
She is not at their place.
Je travaille chez Apple.
I work at Apple.
C'est une habitude chez lui.
It's a habit of his.
On se retrouve chez le notaire.
We are meeting at the notary's.
Il y a beaucoup de tension chez les jeunes.
There is a lot of tension among young people.
Chez Balzac, le réalisme est omniprésent.
In Balzac's work, realism is omnipresent.
Le talent est inné chez elle.
Talent is innate in her.
Chez les mammifères, ce trait est commun.
In mammals, this trait is common.
Il a trouvé refuge chez un ami.
He found refuge at a friend's.
Chez les Grecs anciens, la philosophie était reine.
Among the ancient Greeks, philosophy was queen.
On observe une mutation chez ce virus.
We observe a mutation in this virus.
C'est une pratique courante chez les artisans.
It's a common practice among artisans.
Chez lui, tout est calculé.
With him, everything is calculated.
Chez cet auteur, le style prime sur le fond.
In this author's work, style takes precedence over substance.
Une certaine mélancolie perce chez cet artiste.
A certain melancholy shines through in this artist.
Chez les peuples nomades, le temps est cyclique.
Among nomadic peoples, time is cyclical.
Il y a une forme de résilience chez les survivants.
There is a form of resilience among the survivors.
Easily Confused
Both translate to 'at' or 'to'.
Both mean 'at home'.
Learners try to use 'au' for people.
Common Mistakes
Je vais à Marie.
Je vais chez Marie.
Je suis à moi.
Je suis chez moi.
Je vais chez le médecin.
Je vais chez le médecin.
Je vais chez boulanger.
Je vais chez le boulanger.
Je vais chez la maison.
Je vais chez moi.
Il est chez le dentiste.
Il est chez le dentiste.
Je vais chez Paris.
Je vais à Paris.
C'est une idée chez lui.
C'est une idée chez lui.
Je travaille chez la banque.
Je travaille à la banque.
Chez les gens, on mange.
Chez les gens, on mange.
Chez ce livre...
Dans ce livre...
Chez la France...
En France...
Chez le cinéma...
Au cinéma...
Chez le travail...
Au travail...
Sentence Patterns
Je vais ___ ___.
Est-ce que tu es ___ ___ ?
___ ___ , on trouve beaucoup de talent.
Je travaille ___ ___.
Real World Usage
Je suis chez moi.
Je vais chez le médecin.
J'ai travaillé chez IBM.
Soirée chez Sarah!
Rendez-vous chez le notaire.
Je vais chez le coiffeur.
The Person Rule
No Contractions
Professional Offices
Chez moi
Smart Tips
Use 'chez moi' instead of 'à ma maison' to sound like a native.
Always remember the article after 'chez' for professions.
Use 'chez' for company names.
Use 'chez' to refer to an author's body of work.
Pronunciation
The 'z' sound
The 'z' in 'chez' is pronounced when followed by a vowel sound (liaison).
Rising
Tu vas chez Marie ↑?
Questioning
Memorize It
Mnemonic
Chez is for people, À is for places.
Visual Association
Imagine a house with a person's face on the door. Every time you see a person, you see the house. That is 'chez'.
Rhyme
If it's a person, use 'chez', if it's a city, use 'à' all day.
Story
Marie invited me for dinner. I walked to her house. I said, 'Je suis chez Marie'. Then I went to the doctor. I said, 'Je vais chez le médecin'.
Word Web
Challenge
Write 5 sentences about where you are going today using 'chez'.
Cultural Notes
French people value 'chez soi' as a private sanctuary.
Usage is identical to France.
Often used in business contexts.
Comes from the Old French 'chez', derived from the Latin 'casa' (house).
Conversation Starters
Où vas-tu ce soir ?
Tu travailles chez qui ?
Chez quel auteur trouves-tu le plus d'ironie ?
Est-ce que tu préfères travailler chez toi ou au bureau ?
Journal Prompts
Common Mistakes
Test Yourself
Je vais ___ Marie.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Je suis à moi.
Arrange the words in the correct order:
All words placed
Click words above to build the sentence
I am at his place.
Answer starts with: Je ...
Match each item on the left with its pair on the right:
Use: travailler, chez, Google
___ Molière, on trouve de l'ironie.
Score: /8
Practice Exercises
8 exercisesJe vais ___ Marie.
Which is correct?
Find and fix the mistake:
Je suis à moi.
chez / vais / je / Marie
I am at his place.
Match: Doctor, Home, Friend
Use: travailler, chez, Google
___ Molière, on trouve de l'ironie.
Score: /8
Practice Bank
10 exercisesIl habite encore ___ ses parents.
I am at my place.
Nous allons à chez nous.
chez / demain / on / va / Pierre
Match the pairs:
Talking about your job at a big tech firm:
Tu viens ___ (at my place)?
At the doctor's.
Elle est chez le supermarché.
les / chez / fête / voisins / une
Score: /10
FAQ (8)
Yes, if you refer to the owner, like 'chez le boulanger'.
Mostly, but also for companies and authors.
You can, but 'chez moi' is more personal.
No, use 'à' for cities.
Chez mon ami.
No, it is invariant.
No, use 'en' or 'au'.
It is neutral and used in all registers.
Scaffolded Practice
1
2
3
4
Mastery Progress
Needs Practice
Improving
Strong
Mastered
In Other Languages
en casa de
Spanish uses a phrase, French uses one word.
bei
German 'bei' is more versatile for general locations.
at [someone's] place
French 'chez' is a single preposition.
no uchi
Japanese structure is strictly noun-based.
inda
Arabic 'inda' can also mean 'with' or 'in possession of'.
zai... jia
Chinese requires the explicit word for house.
Learning Path
Prerequisites
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