Can I go to the bathroom in French

Ah la la, this is always a difficult question. Because on top of possibly sounding impolite in French, you could also end up sounding totally ridiculous.

If you want to ask, "Where is the bathroom," and you go for a literal translation, you'd ask, "Où est la salle de bains"? The problem is la salle de bains is the room where the bath or shower is. Often the toilet is in a separate room. Imagine the puzzled look on your French hosts when they try to figure out why on earth you want to take a shower in their home.

Ideally, if things are done properly, your hosts should have discreetly pointed out the bathroom after they took your coat and guided you into the house.

'Où Sont les Toilettes, S’il te Plaît?'

But if that didn't happen, the correct question would be, "Où sont les toilettes, s’il te plaît?" if you are saying tu to your host. Note that the term les toilettes referring to the bathroom is always plural. You may also use the word les cabinets. If you do, you'd say, "Où sont les cabinets, s'il te plaît," but it's a bit old-fashioned.

If the evening is super formal, you may say something like, "Où puis-je me rafraîchir?" (Where may I freshen up?), but talking like that is quite snobbish. And anyway, everybody knows where you're going and what you'll be doing once you get there.

Also remember that we never say, “Take your time” in this kind of situation, which always makes me laugh. 

At a Dinner Party, Be Discreet

If you've gone to this house for a dinner party, keep in mind that you are not supposed to leave the dinner table...and dinner may last for hours. If you absolutely have to use the bathroom, time your exit well, for example, not just before a new course is brought in. It could be at the end of a course since the French don't remove the empty plates right away; just leave the table as discreetly as you can. You may say a soft, “Veuillez m’excuser” ("Please excuse me"), but it's not at all necessary. And by all means, don’t say where you're going. Everybody knows.

At a Restaurant or Café, Be Polite and Use 'Vous'

If you're in a restaurant or a café, it's the same question. You will, of course, be using vous: Où sont les toilettes, s'il vous plaît? In big cities, you often need to be a customer to use the restroom.

If it's a big Parisian café with a terrace, walk in, look for the signs, and just go in. If it's a smaller place, smile a lot and politely say: '"Excusez moi. Je suis vraiment désolée, mais est-ce que je peux utiliser vos toilettes, s'il vous plaît?" Only in a very touristic place would you have a problem. Then, either order and pay for a coffee at the bar (even if you don't drink it) or go to the nearest public toilets.

To navigate the niceties of French toilets you'll need to learn how French toilets work. For instance, do you know what those weird buttons are on a French toilet? And make sure you learn all you can about using a public toilet in France to avoid a nasty surprise!

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Chevalier-Karfis, Camille. "How to Ask Where the Restroom Is in French." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/ask-for-bathroom-politely-in-french-1368018 (accessed December 26, 2022).

I just stayed there awake in bed and occasionally I'd go in the bathroom and turn on the light and read brochures because I was, like, just unable to sleep.

Je suis resté éveillé toute la nuit et régulièrement, j'allais dans la salle de bain lire des documents parce que je n'arrivais pas à dormir.

It might sound like a funny topic, but it’s very serious business. Because knowing how to say “Where is the toilet?” in French can be a life saver!

Ok, I could be exaggerating a little, but if you’re a frequent traveler — who likes to try exotic food — you know exactly what I mean. It might even be more important than learning to say hello or sorry.

So keep reading to learn the proper way to ask “Where is the bathroom?” in French and other useful vocab around toilet in French. You’ll be prepared when you really, really, really need it!

Bathroom and toilet in French: How to say it

First of all, you should know that in French, we don’t really ask “Where is the bathroom” but rather “Where is the toilet”. Indeed, if you literally translate “bathroom” with “salle de bain”, your hosts or the restaurant might think you want to take a shower! So stick to “S’ìl vous plaît, où sont les toilettes” or the alternatives below, and you’ll be just fine.

Useful: In restaurants or public places, you might see signs with “toilettes” or “WC”.

Beginning your French language learning journey? Download your free French language essentials eBook here.

Where is the bathroom in French

I understand you might need this urgently, so let’s get to it!

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Bathroom and toilet etiquette in France

A taboo topic

Old-school French people are quite discreet when going to the toilet. They usually say “Excusez-moi” — see more ways to apologize in French — and get up. Moreover, try to schedule your toilet trip at the beginning or at the end of a meal, not in between.

However, don’t worry too much about it if you can’t respect these rules and remember: we all need to go!

Going to the toilet in a café or restaurant

If you’re visiting a large city, you can easily walk into any busy café or restaurant and discretely go to the bathroom.

If it’s a smaller establishment, feel free to ask if you can use the toilets: “S’il vous plaît, puis-je utiliser les toilettes ?” In touristy locations, they might be for clients only, so you can always order a café or something else, for example. Bring some tissues and hand sanitizer, since most restaurants and cafés will be out of toilet paper, soap, or both.

Useful: Toilets are often one floor up or down.

Public restroom in France

You might see “self clean” toilets in large French cities. These are paid, and there is no way to sneak in your friend or other half for free after you’re finished. If you try, they’ll get a free shower as these toilets get cleaned automatically after each use! Oh, and some of these are “toilettes à la turque”, which consists of a hole in the ground. So, ladies, get ready to work these inner thighs…

Another option is the “dame pipi”, literally “lady pee”. A bit odd for a country whose inhabitants are reluctant to say they’re going to the toilet, right? These “dames pipi”, which by the way can be male or female nowadays, are in charge of collecting a fee to use the restroom, which might be fixed, or at your discretion.

Needless to say, always be polite: “Bonjour Madame, au revoir Madame”.

Toilets in France: 4 Fun facts

1. The infamous bidet

Bidets still exist in France, usually in older houses or elegant hotels which have enough space in the bathroom for it. If you’re not willing to try to experience it, you can always use it to wash your feet after a long day sightseeing in Paris or a beach afternoon on the French Riviera!

2. The toilet museum

The village of Labastide-en-Val, in the South of France, transformed its old public toilets into a micro museum. With one square meter on the ground, it’s one of the smallest museums in the world, and probably one of the most unusual!

3. The Québécois way

My absolute favorite Québécoise expression is “Ça me bouillonne dans le fond de la flûte”. Literally, it means “It bubbles up in the bottom of my flute”. But it means… “I have to go to the bathroom”! In my opinion, this is too good to be used only in Québec!

4. Al fresco toilets

While it’s illegal in America, going to the bathroom “al fresco” is common in France, and in Europe in general. Of course, gentlemen have it easier than women! That being said, I’d recommend you to save it for a nature walk in the middle of nowhere. For cities, try the “café” tip!

Next time you need to ask “Can I go to the bathroom” in French, I hope you’ll remember this article fondly! And here is a conversation starter if you have to wait in line.

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