chez

At Someone's Place with Chez

Level 1

The preposition chez is used when referring to a person's location or destination. It replaces 'at' or 'to' when the place is defined by a person (e.g., 'at Marie's' or 'to the doctor's').

How It Works

The word chez is one of the most common prepositions in French. Here is how to use it correctly:

With People: Use it with names or titles to mean 'at [person]'s house.'
Ex: Je vais chez Pierre. (I am going to Pierre's.)
With Professions: Use it for a professional's office or shop.
Ex: Je suis chez le dentiste. (I am at the dentist's.)
With Pronouns: When used with a pronoun, it must be a stressed pronoun. This includes the reflexive soi.
Ex: Viens chez moi. (Come to my place.) / On est bien chez soi. (One feels good at one's home.)
With Companies: It is used to say you work for a specific brand or company.
Ex: Elle travaille chez Google. (She works at Google.)
Among or In: It can mean 'among' a group or 'in the case of.'
Ex: C'est commun chez les chats. (It is common among cats.)
In the Works of: It refers to the style or works of an artist.
Ex: Le bleu est important chez Picasso. (Blue is important in Picasso's work.)

Pronunciation Tip: The 'z' is usually silent (/she/). You must perform a liaison (pronounce the 'z') when it is followed by a pronoun starting with a vowel, like in chez eux (/she-zuh/). However, if the next word is a proper noun like chez Albert, the liaison is optional and often skipped in casual conversation.

Examples (5)

Je dîne chez Marie ce soir.
I am having dinner at Marie's tonight.
Word by Word: I dine at Marie this evening.
Using 'chez' with a proper name indicates Marie's home.
Il doit aller chez le médecin.
He has to go to the doctor's.
Word by Word: He must to go at the doctor.
For professionals like doctors or bakers, 'chez' indicates their place of business.
Bienvenue chez nous !
Welcome to our home!
Word by Word: Welcome at us!
When used with 'nous', it means 'our place' or 'our house'.
Je reste chez moi ce week-end.
I am staying at my place this weekend.
Word by Word: I stay at me this week-end.
'Chez moi' is the standard way to say 'at my house' or 'home' in French.
Il y a une bonne ambiance chez Apple.
There is a good atmosphere at Apple.
Word by Word: It there has a good atmosphere at Apple.
'Chez' is used for companies to describe the environment or employment there.

Common Mistakes

Using 'à' with a person.
Je vais à Marie.
Je vais chez Marie.
In French, you cannot go 'to' a person using 'à'. You must use 'chez' to indicate their location or home.
Using 'chez' with a physical building name.
Je suis chez la bibliothèque.
Je suis à la bibliothèque.
'Chez' is only for people or entities treated as people (like companies). For impersonal buildings, use 'à'.
Adding an extra preposition before 'chez'.
Je suis à chez moi.
Je suis chez moi.
'Chez' already acts as the preposition 'at' or 'to', so adding 'à' is redundant and incorrect.

How It Connects

Tap a pattern to see what it builds on and what it leads to.

chezLevel 1At Someone's Place with Chez

Learn This First

To use 'chez' correctly, you need to understand how to identify the person or place following the preposition, which typically involves using definite articles for professions or possessive adjectives for personal residences.

mon / ma / mesFirst-person Possessive Mon, Ma, Mes
Possessive adjectives are frequently used in conjunction with 'chez' to indicate someone's home or place.
Level 1

Words in This Pattern