somewhere elsewhere anywhere nowhere everywhere

The English words somewhere, elsewhere, anywhere, nowhere and everywhere all refer to places in a vague or general way. In French, each has its own equivalent. Sometimes more than one translation is possible, depending on context.

Somewhere

The most common French word for somewhere is quelque part.

example:
Il doit être quelque part ici.
He must be somewhere here.

example:
J’ai mis mon téléphone quelque part, mais je ne sais plus où.
I put my phone somewhere, but I don’t know where anymore.

Elsewhere

The usual French translation is ailleurs.

example:
Regarde ailleurs si tu ne trouves pas ici.
Look elsewhere if you don’t find it here.

example:
J’aimerais vivre ailleurs.
I would like to live elsewhere.

Anywhere

Anywhere can be translated in different ways, depending on whether the sentence is positive, interrogative, or negative.

In affirmative sentences, questions or conditionals, use n’importe où.

example:
Tu peux t’asseoir n’importe où.
You can sit anywhere.

example:
Veux-tu aller n’importe où avec moi ?
Do you want to go anywhere with me?

In negative sentences, use nulle part.

example:
Je ne le trouve nulle part.
I can’t find it anywhere.
(Literally: I find it nowhere.)

Nowhere

The French equivalent is nulle part. It is always used with ne in a negative sentence.

example:
Il n’y a nulle part où se garer.
There is nowhere to park.

example:
Je n’ai vu ça nulle part.
I saw that nowhere. (I didn’t see that anywhere.)

Everywhere

The French word is partout.

example:
J’ai cherché partout.
I looked everywhere.

example:
On voit des fleurs partout au printemps.
You see flowers everywhere in spring.

A note on word order

In French, these adverbs usually come after the verb or after the past participle in compound tenses.

example:
Je l’ai cherché partout.
I looked for it everywhere.

example:
Tu peux aller n’importe où.
You can go anywhere.

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