a costat de, lonh de, pròche de
Near and Far
These place phrases end in de before the reference place.
How It Works
Each phrase ends in de, and the noun that follows is the reference place.
| Occitan | English |
|---|---|
| a costat de la pòrta | next to the door |
| lonh de Tolosa | far from Toulouse |
| pròche del mercat | near the market |
| pròche de l'escòla | near the school |
The usual rules for de apply. Before lo it becomes del (pròche del mercat), before a vowel it drops to d' or joins l', and before a town name it needs no article. The phrases say how close two places are. They say nothing about whether someone is moving. For movement toward a place, see cap a.
Examples (4)
- L'escòla es pròche del mercat.
The school is near the market.
De and lo join into del.
- Demoram lonh de Tolosa.
We live far from Toulouse.
Lonh de introduces the town.
- Maria es a costat de la pòrta.
Maria is next to the door.
De stays separate before la.
- Joan demòra pròche de l'escòla.
Joan lives near the school.
De stays before the elided article.
Common Mistakes
Dropping de.
Demoram lonh Tolosa.Demoram lonh de Tolosa.Lonh needs de before the place.
Not joining de and lo.
L'escòla es pròche de lo mercat.L'escòla es pròche del mercat.De and lo always join into del.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The place phrases ending in de merge with lo, so the place words and del come first.
- davant, darrièr, sotaIn Front, Behind and Under
Know davant, darrièr and sota, because a costat de, lonh de and pròche de are longer place words: Maria es a costat de la pòrta.
Level 2 - de + lo = delDel and Dels
Know del, because these phrases end in de and merge with lo: L'escòla es pròche del mercat.
Level 1
Related Patterns
Words in This Pattern
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