Language/French/Grammar/When-use-ou-or-où

When use: Quand or Quant?

Ou or Où?

a or à?

How to know when to use "où" and "ou"?

In this lesson, you will learn how to make the difference between "où" and "ou".

Actually many French still make some mistakes even if the rule is quite simple.

Summary

It's easy! :)

• OU = OR

• OÙ = WHERE

NB: "OU" and "OÙ" have exactly the same pronunciation.

ou

It's a coordinating conjunction. It expresses a choice between one or more things and is used in an affirmative sentence.

It can be replaced by "ou bien" (or, else).

• Example: Je veux du fromage ou rien du tout. (I want some cheese or nothing) --> Je veux du fromage ou bien rien du tout (I want some cheese, or else, nothing).

où

It's an interrogative adverb, or subordinating relative pronoun, it indicates a location or time.

It's an interrogative adverb in

• direct interrogative sentence: « Où allons-nous ? (Where are we going?)

• or Indirect « Je te demande où nous allons » (I ask you where we're going).

You can not replace by "ou bien".