French Phrase
C'est à deux pas d'ici.
Meaning
It’s just a stone’s throw from here, meaning the place is extremely close—only a couple of steps away.
When to use
Use this phrase when you want to tell someone that a location (a shop, a bus stop, a friend's house, etc.) is very near, within a short walking distance.
✦Grammar Breakdown
C'estàdeuxpasd'ici
C'est (it is)
C'est is the contraction of ce + est, used to identify or describe something.
à (at/to)
In expressions of distance, à introduces the measure of how far something is.
deux (two)
Cardinal number indicating the quantity 'two', used here to quantify steps.
pas (step)
Literally 'step'; in the idiom 'à deux pas' it denotes a very short distance, like a couple of steps.
d'ici (from here)
d' is the elided form of de before a vowel; d'ici means 'from here' or 'of here'.
🗨In Conversation
Où est la boulangerie ?
Where is the bakery?
C'est à deux pas d'ici.
It's just a stone’s throw from here.
✕Common Mistakes
C'est à deux pas de ici.
Do not add an extra 'de' before 'ici'; the correct contraction is d'ici.
C'est à deux d'ici pas.
The phrase must keep the order 'pas d'ici' to keep the idiom intact.
↔Alternatives
C'est tout près.
It's very close.
C'est à côté.
It's next to it.
C'est à proximité.
It's nearby.
Cultural Tip
The idiom 'à deux pas' is common in everyday French conversation and conveys an informal sense of closeness. It’s rarely used in formal writing, where you might prefer 'à proximité' or 'tout près'. Remember that 'pas' here is not a literal step but part of a fixed expression.