The word "away" in English is incredibly versatile, but in French, you often need different words depending on the context. While there isn't one single perfect equivalent, there are many ways to express the idea of "away".

Whether you're talking about going away, staying away, or putting something away, knowing the right French word will make your conversations much more natural.

Let's dive into 9 common and useful ways to say "away" in French, so you can express yourself with precision and confidence!

The general 'away' or 'far' - loin

When you want to express the idea of something being 'away' or 'far' in French, the most common and versatile word you'll use is loin.

Loin is an adverb, which means it is invariable. Unlike adjectives, it doesn't change its form to agree with gender or number. This makes it relatively straightforward to use!

You can use loin directly after a verb to indicate distance. For example, Il habite loin (He lives far away).

To specify what something is far from, you'll use the preposition de (or its contracted forms du, de la, de l', des) after loin. This creates the common phrase loin de.

While often referring to physical distance, loin can also be used figuratively. For instance, C'est loin de la vérité (It's far from the truth) expresses a conceptual distance.

Here are some useful expressions involving loin: de loin (by far, from afar), au loin (in the distance), aller loin (to go far, to get somewhere).

The direct opposite of loin (far) is près (near). Understanding this pair helps reinforce the meaning of both adverbs.

💡 * La gare est loin d'ici. (The train station is far from here.)

• Ne va pas trop loin. (Don't go too far.)
• Elle a vu ses amis de loin. (She saw her friends from afar.)
• Ce n'est pas loin de la maison. (It's not far from the house.)
• Son idée est loin d'être stupide. (His idea is far from stupid.)

To 'go away' or 'leave' - s'en aller

To 'go away' or 'leave' - s'en aller

When you want to express the idea of 'to go away' or 'to leave' in French, especially with a strong emphasis on the act of departing from a current place or situation, the verb s'en aller is often your best choice. It implies a movement away from something.

This verb is reflexive and uses the particle en. The s' (or se) is the reflexive pronoun, indicating that the subject is performing the action on themselves. The en here essentially means 'from there' or 'away from this place/situation,' giving the verb its core meaning of moving away.

Conjugating s'en aller follows the pattern of the verb aller (to go), but you must remember to include the reflexive pronoun and en before the verb. For example, 'I am leaving' becomes Je m'en vais.

While partir also means 'to leave,' s'en aller often carries a stronger sense of definitive departure or moving away from a specific point. Think of it as 'taking oneself away.' It can imply a more urgent or final exit, or simply emphasize the act of removing oneself from a location.

You'll hear s'en aller used in various contexts. It's common for telling someone to 'go away' (Va-t'en !) or when announcing your own departure. It can also describe things disappearing, like time or pain: Le temps s'en va vite (Time goes by quickly).

This verb is particularly useful when you want to strongly convey the act of leaving, rather than just stating the fact. It adds a layer of intention or finality that a simple partir might not always capture.

💡 * Je m'en vais ! (I'm leaving!)

• Il s'en est allé sans dire un mot. (He left without saying a word.)
• Le temps s'en va vite. (Time goes by quickly.)
• Va-t'en ! (Go away!)
• Nous nous en allons de Paris demain. (We are leaving Paris tomorrow.)

To 'stay away' or 'keep off' - rester à l'écart

To 'stay away' or 'keep off' - rester à l'écart is a crucial French expression for indicating distance, both literally and figuratively.

Rester à l'écart directly translates to 'to stay apart' or 'to remain away,' and is widely used to express the idea of keeping a distance from something or someone.

The phrase is built from the verb rester ('to stay,' 'to remain') and the adverbial locution à l'écart, which means 'aside,' 'apart,' or 'out of the way.'

You'll often hear rester à l'écart used when talking about maintaining a physical distance, whether for safety, privacy, or simply to keep something at bay.

Beyond the physical, this expression is powerful for conveying the act of staying out of trouble, avoiding a conflict, or remaining uninvolved in a situation, highlighting a deliberate detachment.

Unlike simply éviter (to avoid), rester à l'écart often implies a conscious decision or an instruction to maintain a boundary, suggesting caution or a desire for non-involvement.

Its versatility makes it applicable in various contexts, from telling children to keep off wet paint to advising someone to stay out of a political debate.

💡 * Il faut rester à l'écart du bord de la falaise. (You must stay away from the edge of the cliff.)

• J'ai préféré rester à l'écart de leur dispute. (I preferred to stay out of their argument.)
• Les enfants doivent rester à l'écart du feu. (Children must keep away from the fire.)
• Elle a toujours su rester à l'écart des ennuis. (She always knew how to stay out of trouble.)
• Restez à l'écart de cette zone dangereuse. (Stay away from this dangerous area.)

The 'far away' or 'in the distance' - au loin

The French phrase au loin translates to 'far away' or 'in the distance' in English.

It describes something located or happening at a significant distance from the speaker or observer, often implying a visual or auditory perception of that distance.

Au loin functions as an adverbial phrase, modifying verbs to indicate the location or direction of an action or state.

💡 * J'ai vu un bateau au loin. (I saw a boat in the distance.)

• On entendait la musique au loin. (We could hear the music far away.)
• Le village se trouve au loin, derrière les montagnes. (The village is far away, behind the mountains.)
• Son regard se perdait au loin. (His gaze was lost in the distance.)

To be 'away from home' - loin de chez soi

The French expression loin de chez soi translates directly to "far from one's home" or "away from home".

It's composed of three key elements: loin (far), de (from), and chez soi (one's place/home). Chez is a preposition meaning "at the home of" or "at the place of", and soi is an indefinite reflexive pronoun meaning "oneself", indicating a general sense of "one's own place".

This phrase is used to describe being physically distant from one's residence, whether for travel, work, or living abroad. It can evoke a sense of displacement or longing for home.

While loin de chez soi is general, you can easily personalize it by replacing soi with other possessive pronouns or proper nouns. For instance, loin de chez moi means "far from my home", loin de chez toi means "far from your home", or loin de chez Marie means "far from Marie's home".

Beyond its literal meaning, loin de chez soi often carries an emotional undertone, suggesting a feeling of being out of one's comfort zone or experiencing homesickness.

💡 * Il voyage beaucoup, il est souvent loin de chez soi. (He travels a lot, he is often away from home.)

• Quand on est loin de chez soi, on apprécie d'autant plus sa propre maison. (When you are away from home, you appreciate your own house all the more.)
• Je me sens un peu loin de chez moi ici. (I feel a bit far from home here.)
• Elle vit loin de chez ses parents maintenant. (She lives far from her parents' home now.)
• Être loin de chez soi peut être une aventure. (Being away from home can be an adventure.)

To 'get away' or 'escape' - s'échapper

The French verb s'échapper translates directly to “to get away” or “to escape.” It’s a crucial term for expressing liberation, flight, or avoidance in various contexts.

It's important to note that s'échapper is a pronominal (reflexive) verb, meaning it always uses a reflexive pronoun (me, te, se, nous, vous) that agrees with the subject. For example, Je m'échappe, Tu t'échappes, Il/Elle/On s'échappe.

Most commonly, s'échapper is followed by the preposition de when indicating what or where one is escaping from. This can be a physical location, a situation, or even a person. Think of it as “to escape from something.”

While less common for physical escape, s'échapper à is used to mean “to elude,” “to avoid,” or “to escape to (a place of refuge).” It often implies escaping a consequence, a duty, or someone's notice. For example, s'échapper à la surveillance (to elude surveillance).

S'échapper also has significant figurative uses. It can describe escaping reality (s'échapper de la réalité), or when a detail, a name, or a thought escapes you (un nom m'échappe). This highlights its versatility beyond just physical flight.

💡 * Ils ont réussi à s'échapper de prison. (They managed to escape from prison.)

• Je dois m'échapper de cette réunion ennuyeuse. (I need to get away from this boring meeting.)
• Le nom de l'acteur m'échappe. (The actor's name escapes me.)
• Il a tenté de s'échapper à la surveillance. (He tried to elude surveillance.)
• Elle rêve de s'échapper de la routine quotidienne. (She dreams of escaping daily routine.)

The 'away' when something is gone - parti/partie

In French, when something or someone is 'gone' or 'away,' you often use the word parti (masculine singular) or partie (feminine singular). These are the past participles of the verb partir (to leave).

Like many past participles used as adjectives, parti/partie must agree in gender and number with the noun or pronoun it modifies. So, for a male, it's parti; for a female, it's partie; for multiple males or a mixed group, partis; and for multiple females, parties.

This term is commonly used to indicate absence, departure, or disappearance. It implies that someone or something has left a location and is no longer present. It can refer to people, objects, or even abstract concepts that have ceased to be.

💡 * Il est parti. (He is gone/away.)

• Elle est partie à la campagne. (She has gone away to the countryside.)
• Les enfants sont partis jouer. (The children have gone to play.)
• La voiture est partie il y a une heure. (The car left an hour ago / The car has been gone for an hour.)
• Mes clés sont parties! Je ne les trouve plus. (My keys are gone! I can't find them anymore.)

To 'put something away' or 'tidy up' - ranger

The verb ranger is a versatile French verb that primarily means “to tidy up” or “to put something away.” It implies organizing and placing things in their proper position.

You'll use ranger when talking about cleaning a room, putting toys away, organizing books on a shelf, or generally bringing order to a space or collection of items. It's about making things neat and orderly.

Ranger is a transitive verb, meaning it always takes a direct object. You ranger something, not just ranger.

While often about physical objects, ranger can also be used figuratively, for instance, to ‘put one’s thoughts in order’ (ranger ses idées) or to ‘put someone in their place’ (ranger quelqu'un).

💡 *Je dois ranger ma chambre. (I need to tidy my room.)
*Elle range toujours ses livres par ordre alphabétique. (She always arranges her books alphabetically.)
*N'oublie pas de ranger tes jouets après avoir joué. (Don't forget to put away your toys after playing.)
*Il a rangé la voiture dans le garage. (He put the car away in the garage.)
*Range tes affaires avant de partir. (Put your things away before leaving.)

The 'away' meaning 'out of reach' - hors de portée

When you want to express that something is 'away' in the sense of being physically 'out of reach' or 'beyond one's grasp' in French, the most direct and common phrase to use is hors de portée.

To understand hors de portée, let's break it down: hors means 'outside' or 'beyond', de means 'of', and portée refers to 'reach', 'range', or 'scope'. Together, it literally translates to 'outside of reach' or 'beyond reach'.

This phrase is primarily used to describe something that cannot be physically touched or accessed due to distance, height, or an obstruction. For instance, an object on a high shelf, a distant land, or something protected by a barrier.

While often literal, hors de portée can also be used in a more figurative sense to mean 'beyond one's capabilities', 'out of someone's control', or 'beyond one's means'. It implies an inability to attain or influence something.

💡 *Le livre est hors de portée sur l'étagère du haut. (The book is out of reach on the top shelf.)
*Assurez-vous que les médicaments sont hors de portée des enfants. (Make sure the medications are out of children's reach.)
*La balle est tombée dans l'eau, elle est hors de portée. (The ball fell in the water, it's out of reach.)
*Ses rêves de gloire semblaient hors de portée. (His dreams of glory seemed out of reach.)
*Ce prix est malheureusement hors de ma portée. (This price is unfortunately out of my reach/beyond my means.)

Are there other ways to say 'away' in French?

Are there other ways to say “away” in French?

Our list features many common ways to say “away” in French. However, the French language is rich with nuances, and you might encounter other expressions, from formal to idiomatic, and even regional variations, depending on the context of 'away'.

You can also explore specific contexts by searching online for phrases like “comment dire être absent en ___” or “comment dire être parti en ___” followed by a specific Francophone country or region to find localized expressions.

If you find new ways to express 'away,' always make sure to check a word’s definition and try to see it used in context before you incorporate it into your vocabulary.

As you immerse yourself in French media — reading books, watching films, and listening to music or podcasts — pay close attention. You’re likely to discover different, perhaps more nuanced, ways to talk about being 'away' or something being distant.

For a deeper dive into the various meanings and expressions related to 'away,' the WordReference entry for loin (far) or absent (absent) can be an excellent starting point, offering a wealth of synonyms and contextual examples.

I hope this article has helped you navigate the various ways to express 'away' in French. To conclude, here’s a thought from Antoine de Saint-Exupéry that reminds us of the power of absence: Ce n'est pas la distance qui nous sépare, c'est l'indifférence. (It is not distance that separates us, but indifference.)